Project Blue Book Case #12607. On January 17, 1969, witnesses near Crittenden, Virginia — a small community in the Hampton Roads area — observed a bright object in the sky. This case is historically significant as one of the final "Unknown" classifications in Blue Book's 22-year history. The program would be formally terminated in December 1969.
Crittenden sits in Isle of Wight County, within the vast Hampton Roads military complex that includes Naval Station Norfolk (the world's largest naval base), Langley Air Force Base, Fort Eustis, and the Newport News Shipbuilding yards. The region's airspace was among the busiest military environments in the world, with Navy, Air Force, and Army aviation all operating in dense proximity.
January 1969 found Blue Book in its death throes. The Condon Committee's report, released in November 1968, had recommended that the Air Force discontinue its UFO investigation program. The Air Force was preparing to act on this recommendation, and Blue Book's remaining staff was essentially marking time. Yet cases still arrived, and some — like the Crittenden sighting — still defied explanation.
The object's brightness and behavior were inconsistent with the heavy military and commercial traffic in the Hampton Roads area. Despite the region's comprehensive radar coverage and flight monitoring, no aircraft correlated with the sighting.
The case was classified "Unknown" — one of the last such designations before Blue Book closed its doors for good.