Project 10073 Record — Sighting near San Juan, Puerto Rico, 5 November 1954

This document contains records and teletype correspondence regarding an unidentified aerial object sighting that occurred on 5 November 1954, approximately 40 miles southeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico, in the vicinity of Henry Barracks. The report, filed under Project 10073, details an observation made by three civilians and one military witness. The primary witness is identified as an assistant manager at the Caribe Hilton Hotel. The object was described as having the shape of a 'giant clam shell' with a silver and gold color, accompanied by a long, silvery flame trailing behind it. The duration of the sighting was brief, lasting between 1.5 and 2 seconds. The object was estimated to be traveling at 2000 mph at an altitude of 2540 feet, following a straight and flat trajectory before disappearing into a small cloud. No sound was reported. The military investigation, initiated by Ramey Air Force Base, noted that the information was initially inadequate for full compliance with Air Force Regulation 200-2, leading to a follow-up report. Weather conditions at the time were described as partly cloudy, and the San Juan Central Weather Station provided wind data. The final official conclusion reached by the Air Technical Intelligence Center was that the phenomenon was an astronomical event, specifically a meteor.