Project 10073 Record — Truk Atoll, 6 February 1953

This document contains records from Project 10073 regarding an unidentified aerial object sighting reported on February 6, 1953, at Truk Atoll in the Pacific. The report was initiated by the Officer in Charge (OIC) of the local Weather Bureau, identified as Norris. According to the witness, a bullet-shaped, shiny object was observed traveling at an estimated speed of 150 mph at an altitude of 400 to 500 feet. The witness described the object as being slightly larger than a C-47 aircraft, noting that it lacked visible wings or a tail section and appeared to be made of highly polished metal. The sighting occurred at 0110Z. Following the report, military intelligence conducted an investigation. A check with Guam flight service revealed that a C-47 aircraft was indeed in the vicinity of Truk Atoll at the time of the sighting, specifically landing at 0235Z. The official analysis concluded that the object was 'probably aircraft.' The report suggests that the clear weather and bright sun conditions may have distorted the visual appearance of the C-47, leading the observer to misidentify it as an unidentified object. The documentation includes multiple internal communications between military commands, including CINCPACFLT, the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC), and COM NAS MARIANAS, confirming the investigation and the final determination that no unknown aircraft were in the area. The document is marked as unclassified and includes standard declassification instructions for the period.