Project 10073 Record Card — Van Nuys, California, 19 May 1955

This document is an Air Intelligence Information Report regarding a UFO sighting that occurred on 19 May 1955 in Van Nuys, California. The witness, Carma McKenzie, reported observing a single, silver, delta-winged object traveling from south to north at a very high altitude and high speed. She described the object as rolling while in flight and noted that it left no trail or exhaust. The observation lasted approximately four to five minutes.

Following the report, the 1602d AISS conducted an investigation. The investigating officer, 2nd Lt. William M. Connor, contacted several military and civilian aviation facilities in the region, including Edwards Air Force Base, March Air Force Base, Miramar Naval Air Station, and the Lockheed Air Terminal in Burbank, to determine if any aircraft were in the area at the time of the sighting. All checks yielded negative results for unusual activity, though the presence of routine jet traffic was confirmed.

During a follow-up telephone conversation on 20 May 1955, the witness provided additional details that contradicted her initial report. She stated that the object was not necessarily delta-winged, that it moved with swooping motions similar to a bird, and that it could have been a small object at a low altitude or a large object at a great altitude. She also noted that it resembled an F-94C aircraft, though it appeared to be a different color. Despite these inconsistencies, she remained adamant that the object was not a bird.

Ultimately, the investigating authority concluded that the witness's reliability was poor and that the object was likely a conventional jet aircraft. The report notes that the witness was alone at the time of the sighting and that no other reports of unusual objects were received from pilots in the area at that time. The final evaluation, filed under report IC-UFOB-8-55, categorized the incident as a probable conventional aircraft.