Project 10073 Record Card — Dairy, Oregon, 22 December 1954

On December 22, 1954, at 1725Z, a Ground Observer Corps (GOC) Chief Observer named Done Rice reported a sighting of an unidentified aerial object near Dairy, Oregon. The witness, noted for excellent reliability, observed a single, round, shiny silver object approximately 40 feet in diameter for a duration of three hours and 45 minutes. The object was described as emitting thin black smoke and producing a periodic sound similar to a jet engine. The witness observed the object using 10-power glasses, a 16-inch rifle scope, and a surveyor transit. The object was initially seen in the west, moving toward the southwest, and was described as revolving rapidly. The report notes that the object appeared to move slowly and then become still. The official evaluation concluded that the sighting was of an aircraft. The report suggests that the reported behavior—specifically the illusion of the object standing still—was caused by a combination of a pronounced surface inversion, the position of the sun, and cloud coverage, which provided a reference for motion. The investigators explicitly ruled out a balloon due to the prevailing wind direction. The documentation includes a Project 10073 record card and an index card summarizing the incident, along with teletype communications forwarding the report to the Air Technical Intelligence Center and other military commands.