PUBLIC RELEASE SOURCE REVIEW · INDEPENDENT ANALYTIC CASE FILE

CASE FILE 27 / 237UAP00381

237UAP00381

Radar/correlation-focused public UAP report; score 66

NORMAL-OBJECT FAVORED

Report No.	UAP-OM-27-237UAP00381	Disposition	NORMAL-OBJECT FAVORED
Primary Case	237UAP00381	Generated	2026-05-20 18:32 UTC
Report Time	2024-10-03T01:40:00+00:00	Observer	40.91610, -81.44220
Source Case IDs	237UAP00381, 237UAP00638

Abstract

This case file evaluates a reported UAP sighting against historical Starlink orbital elements. The primary external-object candidate is a 4-object same-launch group from 2022-03-09, spanning azimuth 11.11-40.86 deg and elevation 13.2-19.47 deg. The analysis distinguishes plausible geometric overlap from unresolved witness-language features.

This is a standalone independent analysis prepared from public-source records and public orbital datasets. It is not an official government determination, classification marking, or agency-authored report.

1. Executive Summary

237UAP00381 is assessed as normal-object favored because the available public evidence gives a case-specific ordinary-object candidate: strong ADS-B aircraft candidate N1086F C208 a0259c at 0.1 km, azimuth 212.4 deg, elevation 70.97 deg, 4.64 min from report. Dense satellite presence alone is not treated as causation in this packet.

1.1 Key Findings

Source score 66 based on: radar/primary-return language, high-altitude report, maneuvering/motion anomaly, UAP/UFO language.
Report time used: 2024-10-03T01:40:00+00:00.
External object layer used: Starlink.
Disposition standard: NORMAL-OBJECT requires case-specific causal fit. Satellite density above the horizon is context only and cannot by itself resolve the report.
Case-specific ordinary-object evidence: strong ADS-B aircraft candidate N1086F C208 a0259c at 0.1 km, azimuth 212.4 deg, elevation 70.97 deg, 4.64 min from report.
Non-causal context / rejection screens: very dense orbital-object sky background; context only, not causation.
Remaining hard features: hard maneuver language.
Objects above horizon: 310; at/above 10 deg: 148.
Top compact same-launch/designator group: 4 objects from 2022-03-09.
No explicit Starlink/balloon wording was found in the source excerpt used for ranking.

1.2 Bottom Line

NORMAL-OBJECT FAVORED: A case-specific ordinary-object candidate exists from source language, orbital geometry, launch-object context, or compact trajectory grouping. Dense ordinary sky traffic alone is not treated as causation.

2. Source Control

The source-control table identifies the public report records reviewed for this case and lists public access links where available. The table is included so this PDF remains interpretable when distributed by itself.

Case ID	Report Date Field	Facility / Title	Text Extract	Public PDF Link
237UAP00381	01:40 10/03/2024 Callsign: JIA5656 Origin: DCA	ZOB Operator: JIA Operator Type: Commercial	text extract present	237UAP00381.pdf
237UAP00638	10/2/2024 9:40:00 PM (-04 EDT)	JIA5656 UFO-UAP ACTIVITY 10-02-2024	text extract present	237UAP00638.pdf

3. Original Report Evidence

Primary excerpt used for matching	Aircraft reported an unidentified aerial phenomenon while NW bound at FL380, orbiting over CAK airport. The unknown phenomenon was a bright white light orbiting at approximately FL600 before disappearing. The UAP was not observed on ATC facility radar system.
Report time used	2024-10-03T01:40:00+00:00
Observer coordinate used	40.91610, -81.44220
Observer source basis	aviation_fix:over CAK (public text extract 237UAP00381)

4. Methodology

Spacetime extraction. The report time and observer coordinate were extracted from the public text report and normalized to UTC. Aviation fixes/radials were resolved during earlier preprocessing where applicable.
External object dataset. The object layer used historical Space-Track/TLE-derived Starlink element rows. The analytic mode for this case is historical Starlink element propagation and same-launch/designator sky grouping.
Propagation. Orbital elements were propagated to the report minute and observer location. For launch-object checks, samples around the report minute were retained. For Starlink group checks, objects above the horizon were clustered by sky position and filtered for same-launch groupings.
Comparison. The output was compared against the report's count of lights, direction cue, motion language, altitude/radar language, and whether the file itself already suggested a satellite explanation.
Causation standard. Mere object presence above the horizon is treated as background context only. A normal-object disposition requires a case-specific causal fit, such as a named launch object, a compact same-launch trajectory group, or source language that directly supports that object class.
Disposition assignment. Identified means a specific normal object fits the report spacetime and the hard reported features do not materially conflict. Normal-object favored means a case-specific ordinary aerospace/orbital candidate exists, but it is not a full named identification. Insufficient means the file is too thin to carry high anomaly value. High-value unresolved is used when radar, video, rapid maneuver, or multi-witness features remain after reasonable normal-object checks.

5. External Object Evidence

5.1 Search Volume and Density

This table is a screening layer only. Objects above the horizon show background opportunity; they do not establish causation unless a specific object or compact trajectory group matches the reported behavior.

Starlink catalog IDs considered	6422	Historical element rows	6421
Above horizon at report minute	310	At/above 10 deg	148
Largest same-sky cluster	111

5.2 Same-Launch / Same-Designator Candidate Groups

#	Launch Date	Count	Azimuth Span	Elevation Span	Motion Labels	Members
1	2022-03-09	4	11.11-40.86 deg	13.2-19.47 deg	eastward, setting	STARLINK-3660, STARLINK-3653, STARLINK-3691, STARLINK-3669

5.3 Primary Group Members

Object	NORAD	Launch	Az	El	Range km	Apparent Motion	Element Age h
STARLINK-3660	51977	2022-03-09	11.11	19.47	1304.11	eastward, setting	10.67
STARLINK-3653	52000	2022-03-09	39.37	17.54	1384.8	eastward, setting	1.1
STARLINK-3691	51960	2022-03-09	22.77	13.66	1595.14	eastward, setting	1.16
STARLINK-3669	51971	2022-03-09	40.86	13.2	1620.63	eastward, setting	5.25

5.4 Bright-Sky Context: Top Starlink Objects by Elevation

Object	Az	El	Range km	Apparent Motion	Launch Date
STARLINK-6331	29.03	78.99	572.52	eastward, setting	2023-07-16
STARLINK-1356	333.21	75.05	567.9	eastward, setting	2020-04-22
STARLINK-30847	270.78	70.82	592.08	eastward, setting	2023-11-08
STARLINK-2594	238.85	68.99	585.54	westward, setting	2021-05-04
STARLINK-30394	158.92	64.84	615.57	westward, setting	2023-09-09
STARLINK-30215	348.51	64.31	618.95	eastward, setting	2023-07-24
STARLINK-30085	318.56	62.64	627.01	eastward, setting	2023-05-19
STARLINK-5547	117.03	50.33	710.95	westward, setting	2023-01-26
STARLINK-5274	156.24	47.91	753.99	westward, setting	2023-01-31
STARLINK-3547	36.47	47.32	715.76	eastward, setting	2022-03-03
STARLINK-2506	216.95	44.06	759.0	westward, rising	2021-04-29
STARLINK-3760	127.44	43.26	759.26	westward, setting	2022-04-21

5.5 Largest Sky Clusters

#	Count	Azimuth Span	Elevation Span	Motion Labels
1	111	2.84-358.72 deg	10.0-43.15 deg	eastward, level, eastward, rising, eastward, setting, nearly fixed azimuth, setting, westward, rising, westward, setting
2	10	142.75-172.97 deg	10.07-27.14 deg	westward, rising, westward, setting
3	7	178.15-192.63 deg	11.91-36.19 deg	westward, rising, westward, setting
4	5	204.96-221.69 deg	10.08-23.64 deg	westward, rising, westward, setting
5	4	29.03-348.51 deg	62.64-78.99 deg	eastward, setting

5.6 Space-Track SATCAT Enrichment

Space-Track SATCAT metadata was pulled as a cached subset for NORAD catalog IDs appearing in this packet's evidence tables. This section adds owner/type/status context to the propagated object candidates.

Packet SATCAT subset rows	5370	Fetched	2026-05-19T01:19:50+00:00
This case NORAD IDs checked	34	SATCAT rows matched	34
Top owners	US: 34
Object types	PAYLOAD: 34

5.7 Space-Track Metadata for Top Propagated Objects

NORAD	Object Name	Type	Owner	Launch Date	Decay Date
57351	STARLINK-6331	PAYLOAD	US	2023-07-16	n/a
45564	STARLINK-1356	PAYLOAD	US	2020-04-22	n/a
58239	STARLINK-30847	PAYLOAD	US	2023-11-08	n/a
48388	STARLINK-2594	PAYLOAD	US	2021-05-04	n/a
57810	STARLINK-30394	PAYLOAD	US	2023-09-09	n/a
57445	STARLINK-30215	PAYLOAD	US	2023-07-24	n/a
56709	STARLINK-30085	PAYLOAD	US	2023-05-19	n/a
55352	STARLINK-5547	PAYLOAD	US	2023-01-26	n/a
55395	STARLINK-5274	PAYLOAD	US	2023-01-31	n/a
51889	STARLINK-3547	PAYLOAD	US	2022-03-03	n/a
48315	STARLINK-2506	PAYLOAD	US	2021-04-29	n/a
52298	STARLINK-3760	PAYLOAD	US	2022-04-21	n/a

5.9 NASA / NOAA / ADS-B Expansion Layer

This source layer adds free NASA context that was previously missing from most packet cases. It is contextual evidence; it does not replace aircraft, satellite, balloon, or radar causation tests.

Hour UTC	2024100301
Cloud amount	10.12%
Precipitation	0.0 mm/hr
10 m wind	2.06 m/s
Temperature	11.97 C
Relative humidity	76.23%
DONKI +/-1 day	CME: unavailable; FLR: unavailable; GST: unavailable; HSS: unavailable; IPS: unavailable; MPC: unavailable; RBE: unavailable; SEP: unavailable; WSAEnlilSimulations: unavailable

5.10 Horizons Sky Geometry Context

Object	Az	El	App Mag
Sun	292.50	-29.55	-26.74
Moon	288.96	-29.74	-4.07
Venus	261.82	-14.94	-3.92
Mars	27.97	-20.77	0.44
Jupiter	50.18	-8.51	-2.48
Saturn	143.00	33.41	0.67

Sun elevation was -29.5 deg, so this was a dark-sky/nighttime sighting.
Moon was below horizon at elevation -29.7 deg.
Planets above horizon: Saturn (33.4 deg).
NASA POWER cloud amount for the hour was 10.12%, with precipitation 0.0 mm/hr.

5.11 Free Source Availability and Remaining Work

Layer	Status	Case-Specific Note
ADSB.lol historical release listing	screened/present	planes-readsb-staging-0 2378.0 MiB; planes-readsb-prod-0 2378.0 MiB; planes-readsb-mlatonly-0 77.0 MiB
ADSB tracks downloaded	not yet exhausted	Requires targeted extraction from large daily history archives before claiming aircraft exhaustion.
NOAA GOES imagery	not yet exhausted	Needed for cloud/lightning visual context.
NOAA GOES ABI/GLM manifest	screened/present	Public S3 object availability for the report hour.
NOAA NEXRAD weather radar	not yet exhausted	Weather radar only; not ATC radar.
NOAA IGRA radiosonde	screened/present	Needed for balloon drift plausibility.
ASOS/METAR weather observations	screened/present	Nearest station surface observations around report time.

ADSB.lol historical: extract aircraft traces from adsblol/globe_history_2024 for 2024-10-03, then filter +/-60 min and 250 nmi around 40.9161,-81.4422.
NASA POWER/Horizons/DONKI: batch context for 237UAP00381 at 2024-10-03T01:40:00+00:00.
NOAA GOES: pull nearest ABI/GLM products for the UTC hour and render cloud/lightning map.
NOAA NEXRAD: select nearest radar stations and render Level-II/III weather radar sweep around event time.
NOAA IGRA: find nearest radiosonde station launches bracketing the event and model wind drift for balloon-like descriptions.
Space-Track gp_history/decay: fetch exact historical element rows and decay/reentry status for top candidate NORAD IDs.

5.12 Weather, Imagery, and Balloon Query Plan

This plan identifies the concrete free sources needed for the next case-specific weather and balloon checks. These are not treated as completed exclusions until the data are downloaded and plotted.

GOES satellite	GOES16
GOES ABI prefix	https://noaa-goes16.s3.amazonaws.com/ABI-L2-CMIPF/2024/277/01/
GOES GLM lightning prefix	https://noaa-goes16.s3.amazonaws.com/GLM-L2-LCFA/2024/277/01/

5.13 Nearest Weather-Airport Candidates

Station	Name	Distance km	Coordinate
KCAK	Akron Canton Regional Airport	0.00	40.92, -81.44
KAKR	Akron Fulton International Airport	13.70	41.04, -81.47
KCLE	Cleveland Hopkins International Airport	64.80	41.41, -81.85
KBKL	Burke Lakefront Airport	69.80	41.52, -81.68
KCGF	Cuyahoga County Airport	72.30	41.57, -81.49

5.14 Nearest Radiosonde Stations

Station	Name	Distance km	Coordinate
USM00072520	PITTSBURGH; PA.	111.70	40.53, -80.22
USM00072632	WHITE LAKE; MI.	260.00	42.70, -83.47
USM00072426	WILMINGTON; OH.	261.70	39.42, -83.82
USM00072528	BUFFALO/GREATER BUFFALO INT.;	318.50	42.94, -78.72
USM00072403	STERLING; VA.	400.30	38.98, -77.49

5.15 ASOS/METAR Surface Weather Observations

surface visibility ranged 10-10 statute miles; no precipitation was reported in the retained observations; no low broken/overcast cloud ceiling was evident in the retained station observations. Surface ASOS/METAR observations describe airport-level weather and visibility; they do not by themselves prove conditions at the sighting altitude or line of sight.

Station	Distance km	Nearest obs UTC	Vis SM	Sky	Wind deg/kt	METAR
KCAK	0.00	2024-10-03T01:51:00+00:00	10.00	CLR, M, M, M	40.00 / 3.00	KCAK 030151Z 04003KT 10SM CLR 12/08 A3005 RMK AO2 SLP175 T01220078 $
KAKR	13.70	2024-10-03T01:54:00+00:00	10.00	CLR, M, M, M	0.00 / 0.00	KAKR 030154Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 12/08 A3004 RMK AO2 SLP173 T01170078 PWINO $
KCLE	64.80	2024-10-03T01:51:00+00:00	10.00	CLR, M, M, M	150.00 / 3.00	KCLE 030151Z 15003KT 10SM CLR 13/08 A3003 RMK AO2 SLP183 T01280078 $

5.16 NOAA IGRA Radiosonde Wind Profile

Nearest sounding implies mean 0-12 km wind drift toward 297.2 deg at 21.55 m/s; a passive balloon could drift about 155.2 km in two hours under this crude layer-average model. Radiosonde winds are sparse station soundings; balloon drift remains approximate without launch time, ascent rate, object altitude, and exact line-of-sight bearing.

Station	Name	Distance km	Sounding UTC	Mean drift bearing	Mean speed m/s	2h drift km	Max wind
USM00072520	PITTSBURGH; PA.	111.70	2024-10-03T00:00:00+00:00	297.20	21.55	155.20	35.00 at 359.00 m

5.17 NOAA GOES ABI/GLM Public File Manifest

GOES public S3 objects are listed for the report hour where available. This is an availability manifest, not yet a rendered satellite image.

Satellite	GOES16	Bucket	noaa-goes16
ABI sample files	12	GLM sample files	12

ABI sample objects:

GLM lightning sample objects:

5.18 ADSB.lol Historical Aircraft Track Extraction

This layer uses the downloaded ADSB.lol daily history archive to test actual aircraft tracks near the report coordinate and minute. It is not treated as a primary-radar substitute; it is a transponder/receiver-derived aircraft screen.

Archive window	2024-10-03T00:25:00+00:00 to 2024-10-03T02:55:00+00:00	Radius	300.00 nmi
Trace files scanned	32551	Tracks retained	1200
Support status	aircraft strong candidate present	Best-candidate note	ordinary-object favored if the report's count, color, direction, and motion can be reconciled with the candidate track(s).
Strong candidates	13	Plausible candidates	71
Reporting-aircraft tracks excluded	4	Weak candidates	151

5.19 Top ADS-B Candidate Tracks

Aircraft	Status	Score	Min dist km	Nearest dt min	Alt ft	Az	El
N1086F C208 a0259c	strong aircraft candidate	83.86	0.10	4.64	1325	212.40	70.97
N402AN A21N a4b41c	strong aircraft candidate	70.31	42.00	0.02	37000	166.90	14.22
N413YX E75L a4e181	strong aircraft candidate	65.85	76.80	0.10	33325	197.50	7.50
N396FR A20N a499a0	strong aircraft candidate	65.76	19.90	0.02	36000	298.60	12.17
N709P S76 a97742	strong aircraft candidate	64.79	0.80	0.12	2400	345.10	0.42
N37325 B38M a441ac	strong aircraft candidate	63.89	54.40	0.00	1250	323.40	0.05
N7839A B737 aa9f3f	strong aircraft candidate	63.71	54.10	0.01	2225	317.10	0.30
N5952J C150 a7b2a1	strong aircraft candidate	61.77	17.50	0.06	2200	56.20	0.20

6. Annotated Evidence Figure

Annotated orbital object figure — Generated figure copied from the local evidence-plot output. It is included as an analytic visualization, not as original sensor imagery.

7. Analytic Comparison

Criterion	Report Evidence	Analytic Treatment
Time constraint	2024-10-03T01:40:00+00:00	Directly used in propagation; this is a hard filter, not descriptive context.
Location constraint	40.91610, -81.44220	Directly used as observer point for azimuth/elevation/range computation.
Count / pattern	not explicit	Primary same-launch group contains 4 propagated objects in a compact sky sector.
Motion language	orbit, disappear	Apparent motion labels in the object table provide a plausible but not definitive comparison.
Radar / official check	not observed on ATC radar	No ATC radar return can be consistent with distant orbital objects or visual aircraft-light hypotheses, but it does not prove the match.
Analytic disposition	normal-object	237UAP00381 is assessed as normal-object favored because the available public evidence gives a case-specific ordinary-object candidate: strong ADS-B aircraft candidate N1086F C208 a0259c at 0.1 km, azimuth 212.4 deg, elevation 70.97 deg, 4.64 min from report. Dense satellite presence alone is not treated as causation in this packet.

8. Caveats, Limitations, and Collection Gaps

No raw cockpit video, ATC replay, radar plot, or witness interview transcript was reviewed unless explicitly stated in the public source text.
Aviation-derived coordinates can represent a nearby fix/radial or report point, not necessarily the actual line-of-sight intercept point.
Starlink visibility depends on illumination, observer altitude, atmospheric conditions, and apparent brightness; this analysis tests geometry, not photometry. No brightness model is used unless explicitly stated elsewhere in the case file.
TLE propagation is appropriate for screening and reconstruction but is not a substitute for authoritative operational ephemerides.
When many satellites are above the horizon, generic presence is weak evidence and is not treated as causation. The report emphasizes named launch-object checks or compact same-launch trajectory groups.
Normal-object favored is not the same as a perfect named-object identification; it requires a case-specific ordinary-object candidate stronger than simple object density.

Appendix A. Public Report Text Extracts

237UAP00381

SKYWATCH INCIDENT REPORT



PRIMARY CODE: UNIDENTIFIED AERIAL PHENOMENON
Date: 01:40 10/03/2024                     Callsign: JIA5656                         Origin: DCA
Status: Closed                             Aircraft: CRJ7                            Destination: MKE
POD: DEN                                   Tail Number:                              New Destination:
Reporting Facility: ZOB                    Operator: JIA                             Operator Type: Commercial
                                           Paged: YES                                MOR Init: YES
                                                                                     MOR ID: ZOB-M-2024/10/02-0004




REMARKS

Aircraft reported an unidentified aerial phenomenon while NW bound at FL380, orbiting over CAK airport. The unknown
phenomenon was a bright white light orbiting at approximately FL600 before disappearing. The UAP was not observed on ATC
facility radar system.




SKYWATCH INCIDENT REPORT | DATE: 2024-10-03T01:40 | POD: DEN | PAGE 1 of 1

237UAP00638

Washington Operations Center




Date: 10/2/2024 9:40:00 PM (-04 EDT)
Title: JIA5656 UFO-UAP ACTIVITY 10-02-2024
Latitude: 40.915055549999998                            Latitude: -81.443638879999995




DESCRIPTION

PRELIM INFO FROM FAA OPS: AKRON, OH/UFO-UAP ACTIVITY/2140E/CLEVELAND ARTCC ADVISED PSA 5656, CRJ7,
DCA - MKE, REPORTED AU UNIDENTIFIED AERIAL PHENOMENON OF WHITE BRIGHT LIGHTS ORBITING-
STATIONARY AT FL600 WHILE NW BOUND AT FL380 VCNTY AKRON, OH (CAK). NO EVASIVE ACTION TAKEN. WOC
202-267-3333 JE/MC

Appendix B. Computational Evidence Digest

This appendix preserves the principal computed values used in the assessment, shortened to the fields most relevant to audit and review.

{
  "report_time_utc": "2024-10-03T01:40:00+00:00",
  "source_excerpt": "Aircraft reported an unidentified aerial phenomenon while NW bound at FL380, orbiting over CAK airport. The unknown phenomenon was a bright white light orbiting at approximately FL600 before disappearing. The UAP was not observed on ATC facility radar system.",
  "historical_starlink_element_rows": 6421,
  "observer": {
    "lat": 40.916099548339844,
    "lon": -81.44219970703125,
    "source": "aviation_fix:over CAK (public text extract 237UAP00381)"
  },
  "case_id": "237UAP00381",
  "starlink_above_horizon_at_report_time": 310,
  "starlink_catalog_ids_considered": 6422,
  "largest_same-sky_cluster_count": 111,
  "starlink_at_or_above_10_deg": 148,
  "same_launch_sky_groups": [
    {
      "azimuth_range_deg": [
        11.11,
        40.86
      ],
      "count": 4,
      "elevation_range_deg": [
        13.2,
        19.47
      ],
      "ground_track_labels": [
        "E",
        "ESE"
      ],
      "launch_date": "2022-03-09",
      "members": [
        {
          "azimuth_deg": 11.11,
          "azimuth_plus_2m_deg": 48.84,
          "azimuth_plus_5m_deg": 78.16,
          "element_age_hours": 10.67,
          "element_epoch": "2024-10-03T12:19:59.576736+00:00",
          "elevation_deg": 19.47,
          "elevation_plus_2m_deg": 15.67,
          "elevation_plus_5m_deg": 3.54,
          "epoch_altitude_km": 546.03,
          "ground_track_bearing_deg": 110.0,
          "ground_track_label": "ESE",
          "launch_date": "2022-03-09",
          "name": "STARLINK-3660",
          "norad_id": "51977",
          "range_km": 1304.11,
          "sky_motion_label": "eastward, setting",
          "subpoint_lat": 50.9307,
          "subpoint_lon": -78.3341
        },
        {
          "azimuth_deg": 39.37,
          "azimuth_plus_2m_deg": 66.17,
          "azimuth_plus_5m_deg": 84.79,
          "element_age_hours": 1.1,
          "element_epoch": "2024-10-03T02:46:17.021856+00:00",
          "elevation_deg": 17.54,
          "elevation_plus_2m_deg": 9.51,
          "elevation_plus_5m_deg": -1.29,
          "epoch_altitude_km": 545.98,
          "ground_track_bearing_deg": 116.09,
          "ground_track_label": "ESE",
          "launch_date": "2022-03-09",
          "name": "STARLINK-3653",
          "norad_id": "52000",
          "range_km": 1384.8,
          "sky_motion_label": "eastward, setting",
          "subpoint_lat": 48.9827,
          "subpoint_lon": -70.8377
        },
        {
          "azimuth_deg": 22.77,
          "azimuth_plus_2m_deg": 47.4,
          "azimuth_plus_5m_deg": 66.86,
          "element_age_hours": 1.16,
          "element_epoch": "2024-10-03T02:49:45.242400+00:00",
          "elevation_deg": 13.66,
          "elevation_plus_2m_deg": 7.49,
          "elevation_plus_5m_deg": -2.03,
          "epoch_altitude_km": 553.1,
          "ground_track_bearing_deg": 100.41,
          "ground_track_label": "E",
          "launch_date": "2022-03-09",
          "name": "STARLINK-3691",
          "norad_id": "51960",
          "range_km": 1595.14,
          "sky_motion_label": "eastward, setting",
          "subpoint_lat": 52.5951,
          "subpoint_lon": -73.2657
        },
        {
          "azimuth_deg": 40.86,
          "azimuth_plus_2m_deg": 62.12,
          "azimuth_plus_5m_deg": 78.29,
          "element_age_hours": 5.25,
          "element_epoch": "2024-10-02T20:25:09.514848+00:00",
          "elevation_deg": 13.2,
          "elevation_plus_2m_deg": 5.97,
          "elevation_plus_5m_deg": -3.55,
          "epoch_altitude_km": 553.28,
          "ground_track_bearing_deg": 112.03,
          "ground_track_label": "ESE",
          "launch_date": "2022-03-09",
          "name": "STARLINK-3669",
          "norad_id": "51971",
          "range_km": 1620.63,
          "sky_motion_label": "eastward, setting",
          "subpoint_lat": 50.1772,
          "subpoint_lon": -68.0166
        }
      ],
      "motion_labels": [
        "eastward, setting"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "top_starlinks": [
    {
      "azimuth_deg": 29.03,
      "azimuth_plus_2m_deg": 96.2,
      "azimuth_plus_5m_deg": 100.67,
      "element_age_hours": 2.73,
      "element_epoch": "2024-10-03T04:23:57.815520+00:00",
      "elevation_deg": 78.99,
      "elevation_plus_2m_deg": 29.24,
      "elevation_plus_5m_deg": 5.73,
      "epoch_altitude_km": 565.32,
      "ground_track_bearing_deg": 103.29,
      "ground_track_label": "ESE",
      "launch_date": "2023-07-16",
      "name": "STARLINK-6331",
      "norad_id": "57351",
      "range_km": 572.52,
      "sky_motion_label": "eastward, setting",
      "subpoint_lat": 41.7059,
      "subpoint_lon": -80.8562
    },
    {
      "azimuth_deg": 333.21,
      "azimuth_plus_2m_deg": 43.83,
      "azimuth_plus_5m_deg": 49.81,
      "element_age_hours": 2.93,
      "element_epoch": "2024-10-03T04:36:04.795488+00:00",
      "elevation_deg": 75.05,
      "elevation_plus_2m_deg": 28.35,
      "elevation_plus_5m_deg": 5.26,
      "epoch_altitude_km": 553.23,
      "ground_track_bearing_deg": 52.29,
      "ground_track_label": "NE",
      "launch_date": "2020-04-22",
      "name": "STARLINK-1356",
      "norad_id": "45564",
      "range_km": 567.9,
      "sky_motion_label": "eastward, setting",
      "subpoint_lat": 41.9974,
      "subpoint_lon": -82.1757
    },
    {
      "azimuth_deg": 270.78,
      "azimuth_plus_2m_deg": 71.64,
      "azimuth_plus_5m_deg": 75.0,
      "element_age_hours": 2.87,
      "element_epoch": "2024-10-03T04:32:00.316320+00:00",
      "elevation_deg": 70.82,
      "elevation_plus_2m_deg": 37.93,
      "elevation_plus_5m_deg": 8.26,
      "epoch_altitude_km": 565.94,
      "ground_track_bearing_deg": 74.41,
      "ground_track_label": "ENE",
      "launch_date": "2023-11-08",
      "name": "STARLINK-30847",
      "norad_id": "58239",
      "range_km": 592.08,
      "sky_motion_label": "eastward, setting",
      "subpoint_lat": 40.9185,
      "subpoint_lon": -83.5645
    },
    {
      "azimuth_deg": 238.85,
      "azimuth_plus_2m_deg": 145.74,
      "azimuth_plus_5m_deg": 137.6,
      "element_age_hours": 3.74,
      "element_epoch": "2024-10-02T21:55:20.815968+00:00",
      "elevation_deg": 68.99,
      "elevation_plus_2m_deg": 30.77,
      "elevation_plus_5m_deg": 5.97,
      "epoch_altitude_km": 553.34,
      "ground_track_bearing_deg": 130.81,
      "ground_track_label": "SE",
      "launch_date": "2021-05-04",
      "name": "STARLINK-2594",
      "norad_id": "48388",
      "range_km": 585.54,
      "sky_motion_label": "westward, setting",
      "subpoint_lat": 39.9995,
      "subpoint_lon": -83.3797
    },
    {
      "azimuth_deg": 158.92,
      "azimuth_plus_2m_deg": 121.61,
      "azimuth_plus_5m_deg": 116.1,
      "element_age_hours": 0.5,
      "element_epoch": "2024-10-03T01:09:51.399648+00:00",
      "elevation_deg": 64.84,
      "elevation_plus_2m_deg": 24.48,
      "elevation_plus_5m_deg": 4.12,
      "epoch_altitude_km": 565.25,
      "ground_track_bearing_deg": 111.85,
      "ground_track_label": "ESE",
      "launch_date": "2023-09-09",
      "name": "STARLINK-30394",
      "norad_id": "57810",
      "range_km": 615.57,
      "sky_motion_label": "westward, setting",
      "subpoint_lat": 38.8901,
      "subpoint_lon": -80.4449
    },
    {
      "azimuth_deg": 348.51,
      "azimuth_plus_2m_deg": 75.61,
      "azimuth_plus_5m_deg": 87.25,
      "element_age_hours": 1.18,
      "element_epoch": "2024-10-03T02:51:03.138048+00:00",
      "elevation_deg": 64.31,
      "elevation_plus_2m_deg": 31.53,
      "elevation_plus_5m_deg": 6.72,
      "epoch_altitude_km": 565.37,
      "ground_track_bearing_deg": 93.17,
      "ground_track_label": "E",
      "launch_date": "2023-07-24",
      "name": "STARLINK-30215",
      "norad_id": "57445",
      "range_km": 618.95,
      "sky_motion_label": "eastward, setting",
      "subpoint_lat": 43.0904,
      "subpoint_lon": -82.0455
    },
    {
      "azimuth_deg": 318.56,
      "azimuth_plus_2m_deg": 65.86,
      "azimuth_plus_5m_deg": 78.4,
      "element_age_hours": 2.83,
      "element_epoch": "2024-10-03T04:29:34.758240+00:00",
      "elevation_deg": 62.64,
      "elevation_plus_2m_deg": 35.52,
      "elevation_plus_5m_deg": 7.91,
      "epoch_altitude_km": 565.55,
      "ground_track_bearing_deg": 82.88,
      "ground_track_label": "E",
      "launch_date": "2023-05-19",
      "name": "STARLINK-30085",
      "norad_id": "56709",
      "range_km": 627.01,
      "sky_motion_label": "eastward, setting",
      "subpoint_lat": 42.6843,
      "subpoint_lon": -83.5816
    },
    {
      "azimuth_deg": 117.03,
      "azimuth_plus_2m_deg": 83.39,
      "azimuth_plus_5m_deg": 74.92,
      "element_age_hours": 6.08,
      "element_epoch": "2024-10-03T07:45:03.519360+00:00",
      "elevation_deg": 50.33,
      "elevation_plus_2m_deg": 20.87,
      "elevation_plus_5m_deg": 2.94,
      "epoch_altitude_km": 565.83,
      "ground_track_bearing_deg": 69.36,
      "groun

Appendix C. Source Exhaustion Checklist

This checklist records which source layers were actually applied to this individual report. It separates checked evidence from unexhausted collection gaps so the disposition is auditable when the PDF is read alone.

Source Layer	Status	Case-Specific Note
NARA public UAP/FAA report	reviewed	Source IDs: 237UAP00381, 237UAP00638
Time and observer coordinate	extracted	2024-10-03T01:40:00+00:00 at 40.91610, -81.44220
Orbital object propagation	screened	Starlink
Space-Track SATCAT metadata	screened	34 NORAD IDs checked; 34 matched in local SATCAT subset
Launch-object/SupGP layer	not applicable	not a launch-object case
NASA/JPL known small-body layer	not selected	CAD/Horizons secondary screen included when this case had NEO-relevant timing/geometry
NASA POWER/Horizons/DONKI context	screened	Hourly weather, sky geometry, and space-weather context where local JSON is present
Aircraft/ADS-B layer	screened	32551 trace files scanned; 1200 tracks retained; aircraft strong candidate present
NOAA GOES imagery layer	not exhausted	Cloud/lightning imagery layer for the report hour
NOAA GOES ABI/GLM manifest	screened	Public S3 object listing for the report hour
NOAA/NEXRAD weather radar layer	not exhausted	Weather radar only; not ATC/primary radar
NOAA IGRA radiosonde layer	screened	Balloon drift plausibility layer
ASOS/METAR surface weather	screened	Nearest station visibility, cloud, wind, precipitation, and METAR observations
Weather/balloon source plan	planned	Nearest weather-airport, GOES, and radiosonde queries are listed where local plan JSON is present
Final analytic disposition	normal-object favored	Presence-only satellite density is context only; a stronger case-specific fit is required for normal-object disposition

References and Source Links

National Archives and Records Administration. Records Related to Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) and Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs) at the National Archives. https://www.archives.gov/research/topics/uaps
National Archives and Records Administration. Record Group 615: Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Records Collection. https://www.archives.gov/research/topics/uaps/rg-615
National Archives and Records Administration. Bulk Downloads for Records Related to Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs). https://www.archives.gov/research/catalog/catalog-bulk-downloads/uap-bulk-download
National Archives Catalog. Records from the Federal Aviation Administration Relating to Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena, National Archives Identifier 493468575. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/493468575
National Archives direct digital object. 237UAP00381.pdf, FAA UAP report record copied from RG 615 bulk digital objects. https://s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-615/493468575/237UAP00381.pdf
National Archives direct digital object. 237UAP00638.pdf, FAA UAP report record copied from RG 615 bulk digital objects. https://s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-615/493468575/237UAP00638.pdf
Hugging Face dataset. oxzoid/space-track-tle-history: historical TLE archive used for Starlink screening. https://huggingface.co/datasets/oxzoid/space-track-tle-history
Space-Track.org. Public source for the underlying U.S. Space Surveillance Network TLE distribution referenced by the historical TLE archive. https://www.space-track.org/
Space-Track.org. API documentation for SATCAT and catalog metadata classes used for local enrichment. https://www.space-track.org/documentation#/api
NASA POWER. Hourly point API documentation for meteorological context. https://power.larc.nasa.gov/docs/services/api/temporal/hourly/
NASA/JPL Solar System Dynamics. Horizons API documentation for observer geometry and apparent magnitude queries. https://ssd-api.jpl.nasa.gov/doc/horizons.html
NASA. DONKI space weather API documentation. https://api.nasa.gov/
ADSB.lol. Interactive API documentation and OpenAPI definition. https://api.adsb.lol/docs
ADSB.lol. Historical open-data release documentation. https://www.adsb.lol/docs/open-data/historical/
OpenSky Network. REST API documentation. https://openskynetwork.github.io/opensky-api/rest.html
OpenSky Network. Historical data via Trino documentation. https://openskynetwork.github.io/opensky-api/trino.html
NASA GIBS. Global Imagery Browse Services API documentation. https://nasa-gibs.github.io/gibs-api-docs/
NASA Earthdata. Common Metadata Repository search API documentation. https://cmr.earthdata.nasa.gov/search/site/docs/search/api.html
NOAA / AWS Open Data. GOES public dataset registry. https://registry.opendata.aws/noaa-goes/
NOAA / AWS Open Data. NEXRAD public dataset registry. https://registry.opendata.aws/noaa-nexrad/
NOAA NCEI. Integrated Global Radiosonde Archive. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/weather-balloon/integrated-global-radiosonde-archive
Iowa Environmental Mesonet. ASOS/AWOS/METAR data download service. https://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/request/download.phtml
CelesTrak. Spacetrack Report No. 3: Models for propagation of NORAD element sets. https://celestrak.org/NORAD/documentation/spacetrk.pdf
CelesTrak. Supplemental GP element sets documentation and current endpoint index. https://celestrak.org/NORAD/elements/supplemental/