Project 10073 Record Card: Sighting near Bitburg, Germany, 6 December 1952

This document details a sighting of an unidentified aerial phenomenon reported on December 6, 1952, by a co-pilot aboard a British European Airways flight traveling from London to Frankfurt. The witness, whose name is redacted, reported observing a streak-shaped object with a bright light at its nose and a trail of dim lights behind it. The object was seen at approximately 1800Z near Bitburg, Germany, at an altitude of 5,700 feet. According to the report, the object crossed the aircraft's flight path at a 90-degree angle to the right and remained visible for 4 to 5 seconds before abruptly disappearing in a downward direction. The co-pilot attempted to alert the pilot, but the object vanished before the pilot could observe it. A subsequent check with the Frankfurt flight service center confirmed that no other aircraft were in the vicinity at the time of the sighting. The weather conditions were reported as clear with no clouds at the aircraft's altitude. The official evaluation of the incident, documented in the Project 10073 record card and associated teletype summaries, concluded that the phenomenon was likely a meteor, citing the short duration and the object's movement characteristics as consistent with such an event.