Project 10073 Record Card: Sighting near Pasco, Washington, 1 September 1954

This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and an accompanying teletype report regarding an unidentified aerial phenomenon observed on September 1, 1954, near Pasco, Washington. The primary witness, an employee of the Northern Pacific Railroad and a private pilot with approximately 100 hours of flight experience, reported observing a stationary object for six hours while traveling by train toward Spokane. Initially, the object was seen in the company of a much larger, unidentified object that disappeared. The witness described the smaller object as having the appearance of a Cessna 170, featuring straight wings positioned midway between the nose and tail, but noted the absence of vertical or horizontal stabilizers, exhaust, or audible sound. During the observation, the object performed a single, high-speed maneuver in a straight line before returning to its original stationary position. The sky conditions were reported as clear with unlimited visibility. The report notes that a similar sighting was reported to the Spokane Filter Center in the same geographical area. As of the date of the report, no detailed interrogation of the witness had been conducted, and the information was gathered via telephone. The official conclusion recorded on the project card is 'Possible balloon,' with a notation that there was insufficient data for a definitive evaluation.