Project 10073 Record Card: Sighting in Gulf of Mexico, 15 July 1955

This document contains records regarding an Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon (UAP) sighting reported on July 15, 1955, in the Gulf of Mexico. The primary report originates from the civilian master of the tanker Tydol, who observed a stationary, milky-white, cylindrical object at an estimated altitude of 5,000 feet. The witness described the object as having an inner round balloon of a deeper white color, resembling a drop of water, with an angular width of 5 minutes of arc and an estimated diameter of 25 feet. The observation lasted for approximately five minutes under conditions of excellent visibility and partly cloudy skies. The report was transmitted through military channels, including the Eighth Coast Guard District, to the Air Technical Intelligence Center and other Air Force commands. Official evaluation by the Operations Office at the Maxwell Flight Service Center concluded that the description was indicative of a weather balloon. Additionally, the document includes a summary of other sightings from July 16–31, 1955, and a separate, unrelated account from late July 1955 involving a 19-year-old witness named Daniel K. O'Connor in Paterson, New Jersey, who reported seeing a ringed, metallic-colored cylinder in the sky.