UFO seen as meteor near Manchester, Tennessee

Summary

A 1961 sighting describes an object leaving a trail similar to an aircraft, but with unusual features. The witness, an engineer and former jet pilot, saw a bright spot that grew to pencil size before vanishing. The parabolic trail and rapid fade suggested an atmospheric phenomenon, though no conventional explanations were found.

The official assessment considered it a rare daylight meteor, as its trajectory and brightness matched a celestial body entering the atmosphere. Despite ruling out weather balloons or aircraft, the report offered no definitive conclusion, highlighting the witness's reliability and the inability to confirm other factors.