White UFO sighted near Odessa in 1958

Summary

In January 1958, a witness near Odessa, Florida, observed a white object that appeared to be about half the size of a large commercial aircraft. The object appeared behind a large plane, coming as close as about 1.5 miles. According to the report, the object then banked to the right and traveled rapidly southeast. The sighting lasted about five minutes, and although the witness couldn't see the object's wings, it was concluded that it was likely an aircraft. Investigators considered it a coincidence that the aircraft paths crossed at different altitudes.

The object's description and behavior generated some confusion. Although initially thought it could be a balloon or an astronomical phenomenon, the collected data pointed more toward an aircraft. The official report concluded that the object was probably an aircraft, and the coincidence of paths with another plane was considered irrelevant. Despite the brief observation and lack of photographs, the report was filed as part of Project 10073, a program investigating unidentified aerial phenomena.