Project 10073 Record Card and Air Intelligence Information Report — Phoenix, Arizona, 3 May 1952

This document comprises a series of reports and correspondence regarding an Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon sighting in Phoenix, Arizona, on May 3, 1952. The primary incident involved two men, Robert E. Duncanson and Samuel Longfield, who were driving in a convertible in downtown Phoenix at approximately 2300 hours. They observed a cigar-shaped object, estimated to be five times as long as it was thick, moving west at approximately 500 miles per hour. The object was described as having a white, phosphorescent glow and emitting what appeared to be 'molten drippings' or jet exhaust. The observation lasted for approximately four seconds before the object suddenly disappeared. Duncanson, identified as an ex-pilot of the U.S. Navy and a former celestial navigator, and Longfield reported that approximately 200 people attending an outdoor party at the Camelback Inn in Phoenix also witnessed the same phenomenon. The reports were processed by the 34th Air Division (Defense) at Kirtland Air Force Base and forwarded to the Air Technical Intelligence Center in accordance with Air Force Letter 200-5. The official evaluation of the sighting, as noted on the Project 10073 record card, categorized the object as a 'Meteor or fireball.' Despite the detailed description provided by the witnesses, the investigating officers noted that the reliability of the informants was unknown and that the truth of the account could not be definitively judged. The documentation includes various administrative forms, including AF Form 112, and hand-drawn sketches illustrating the object's movement and appearance. The reports emphasize that no weather phenomena could account for the sighting, as the sky was clear with 15-mile visibility and calm winds. No physical evidence or photographs were available, and no interception or identification action was taken by the military.