PROJECT 10073 RECORD: Dobbins AFB, Georgia, 8 February 1953

This document contains records and correspondence regarding an unidentified aerial phenomenon observed on February 8, 1953. Military personnel at Dobbins Air Force Base in Georgia and an AC&W unit in Knoxville, Tennessee, reported observing a stationary object emitting a bright white light that changed to red and yellow. The object was observed for approximately 15 minutes before disappearing below the horizon. The report notes that the object appeared larger and brighter than the red obstruction lights on the control tower and hangars at Dobbins. Weather conditions at the time were clear with good visibility. No radar contact was established, and there was no reported air traffic in the area. The official conclusion of the Project 10073 record is that the sighting was likely an astronomical event, specifically the planet Jupiter. The document also includes an extract from the 'Asheville Citizen' dated February 12, 1953, which details a related incident involving a Marine Corps jet pilot, First Lt. Ed Balocco. Balocco, flying an F9F Panther jet, chased a red-lighted object over coastal North Carolina. He reported that the object moved from below him to 10,000 feet vertically in a matter of seconds and traveled at speeds exceeding 500 mph. Balocco described the object as having the color of white heat, throwing out a red glow, and featuring two red lights on the left side that appeared to bounce and flash. Despite his efforts, he was unable to gain on the object. A civilian and a Navy pilot also reportedly sighted the object, and a farmer near Oriental, N.C., reported a flash and a subsequent ground fire, which Marine helicopters investigated, finding a small forest fire but no evidence of a crash. The document concludes with a letter from the directors of U.F.O. Research Associates dated May 9, 1963, requesting information from the Air Force regarding these cases, including a separate 1951 incident involving a Piper Cub.