Project 10073 Record Card — Bettles, Alaska, 3 February 1955

This document is a Project 10073 Record Card detailing an unidentified aerial phenomenon sighting that occurred on February 3, 1955, near Bettles, Alaska. The sighting, recorded at 03/2202Z, involved a single object observed at an altitude between 30,000 and 35,000 feet. The witness described the object as having a slim fuselage and an extremely pointed nose with a needle-like projection extending from the front. A yellow fin was noted, which the observer suggested might have been caused by sun reflection. The object left a white trail of billowing smoke approximately five miles long and was estimated to be traveling at a speed 200 miles per hour faster than jet aircraft. The object's flight path was reported as north. Attempts to establish radio contact on all channels were unsuccessful. The record card notes that there was no report in the file. The official conclusion reached by the evaluating agency, ATIC, was that the object was a guided missile. The document references additional information found in ATIC 211364 and IR 7055, dated February 9, 1955, from MATS, which are held in the ATIC repository.