Project 10073 Record Card and Related Correspondence — Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, July 1953

This collection of documents details a sighting of an unidentified aerial object on 8 July 1953 at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. The object was described by multiple witnesses, including civilian air police and military personnel, as a single, round, white, shiny object with no tail, exhaust, or apparent method of propulsion. The witnesses reported that the object remained stationary with little or no motion and made no sound for a duration of three to four minutes before disappearing in the open sky. The sighting occurred at 2227Z. The documents include a Project 10073 record card, joint message forms, and internal correspondence between ATIC and the Commander of the Oklahoma City Air Materiel Area at Tinker AFB. The investigation sought to determine if the object was a weather balloon, specifically referencing a balloon released by the 5th Mobile Weather Squadron. ATIC requested additional information from the base, including azimuth and elevation readings, to verify if the civilian and military sightings were of the same object. The official conclusion reached by the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) was that the event was a confirmed balloon observation. The documents also mention that ATIC had received three reports of unidentified objects from the area recently and suggested that the base contact the Intelligence Officer of the 33rd AD to brief personnel on the subject. A note indicates that video film of the object was received but not yet processed at the time of the correspondence.