Project 10073 Record Card — Appearance of an Alleged Flying Saucer over Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanganyika

On February 19, 1951, an East African Airways Lodestar aircraft, piloted by Captain J. Bicknell, encountered an unidentified aerial object while flying from Nairobi to Dar es Salaam. At approximately 7:20 a.m., the radio officer, D. W. Merrifield, alerted Captain Bicknell to a bright, stationary object hovering at 10,000 feet above Mount Kilimanjaro. The crew and nine passengers observed the object for 17 minutes. Through binoculars, the object was described as a metallic, bullet-shaped craft, over 200 feet long, featuring a square-cut vertical fin at one end and three distinct stripes along its body. It lacked windows, portholes, or visible means of propulsion, and left no vapor trail. After remaining stationary, the object began to climb rapidly eastward, eventually reaching an altitude of 40,000 feet before disappearing. Captain Bicknell estimated the object's speed during its flight to be approximately 1,000 miles per hour. The crew attempted to verify the object's identity by contacting Nairobi regarding a French Constellation aircraft in the vicinity, but no information could be provided to explain the sighting. Passengers were asked to sign a document confirming their observation of the object. Several passengers reportedly took photographs and motion picture film of the craft. However, subsequent efforts by the American Consulate to obtain this evidence were unsuccessful; the American passenger who allegedly possessed the film reportedly departed for Zanzibar, and the film itself was later rumored to have disappeared. The sighting generated significant interest, with local press dismissing conventional explanations like balloons or mirages. The incident was formally recorded under Project 10073, with the official conclusion stating there was insufficient data for evaluation. The document also includes a brief mention of a separate incident on the same date involving a C-54 pilot near Rodeo, New Mexico, who reported a green flare or rocket, which investigators attributed to a meteor.