Project 10073 Record Card — Los Alamos, New Mexico, 23 November 1954

On the morning of 23 November 1954, at 1655Z, a single unidentified object was observed near Los Alamos, New Mexico. The sighting was reported by two individuals: a pilot employed by CARCO Airlines and a control tower technician stationed at Los Alamos. The object was described as silver in color, exhibiting no trail or exhaust, and moving at a slow speed estimated between sixty and one hundred knots. The observers noted that the object made no audible sound. The duration of the observation was approximately ten minutes, during which the object maintained a heading of south-southeast before disappearing over a hill near Santa Fe, New Mexico. In response to the report, two F-86 aircraft were diverted to investigate the area, but their search yielded negative results. The official assessment provided by Captain Charles L. Demers of the 34th Air Division (Defense) concluded that the sighting was likely an optical phenomenon. Specifically, it was determined that a temperature inversion in the atmosphere caused a reflection of a civilian transport aircraft taking off from the Santa Fe Airport. The report notes that there was no other air traffic in the area at the time that could account for the sighting, and no physical evidence was recovered. The documentation includes a Project 10073 record card and a supplement to Air Force Form 112a, detailing weather conditions, observer information, and the final intelligence evaluation.