Project 10073 Record Card and Air Intelligence Information Report — Travis AFB, 4 January 1952

This document contains an Air Intelligence Information Report regarding a sighting on 4 January 1952 at Travis Air Force Base, California. The primary witness, Pfc. Clifford W. Smith of the 411th Armament and Electronics Squadron, reported observing an unidentified aerial object at approximately 0500 hours. Smith, who was walking east on Travis Avenue near the Wherry Housing Area, described the object as a bright green, tear-drop shaped entity with a long red tail. He observed the object descending through a cloud cover at an estimated altitude of 300 feet, moving at a speed comparable to a jet aircraft. The witness noted that the object emitted large, colored sparks from its rear. The sighting lasted between 15 and 30 seconds, and Smith reported that there was no sound associated with the object. The weather at the time was described as dark but clear, with a high broken overcast. Smith stated that he was familiar with the appearance of meteors and shooting stars and believed the object he witnessed did not resemble them. The report was prepared by Major John F. Larimer, an Intelligence Officer. The file also contains a Project 10073 record card and a photograph of the area. Additionally, the document includes a 1968 letter from Northwestern University to the Research and Aerial Phenomena Division at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, which discusses a separate 1952 sighting in Palmer, Alaska, and provides commentary on the classification of such reports.