UFOB Index Card and Project 10073 Record Card — Richland, Washington, 21 July 1955

On July 21, 1955, a sighting of an unidentified aerial object occurred near Richland, Washington. The object was observed between 1337Z and 1420Z by both military and civilian personnel, including two pilots from the 323rd Fighter Interceptor Squadron at Larson Air Force Base, identified as 1st Lt. R. T. Cameron and Capt. Ravensburg. The witnesses described the object as a large, tear-drop shaped, silver-colored entity with a plastic bottom. The object was observed to be drifting slowly toward the south. Intercept action was initiated, but the pilots were unable to reach the object, which was estimated to be at an altitude exceeding 45,000 feet. The sighting lasted for approximately 43 minutes. Following the incident, an investigation was conducted by the 9th Air Division. A check with the Air Defense Command (ADC) weather office confirmed that a balloon was present in the area at the time of the sighting at an altitude of 80,000 feet. Based on the physical description provided by the witnesses—specifically the tear-drop shape, silver color, and the appearance of a plastic bottom—and the confirmation of the balloon's presence by weather services, the official conclusion reached by the military authorities was that the object was a balloon. The report, filed under Project 10073, includes documentation from an UFOB index card and a teletype message (RJWPGR 327) detailing the event and the subsequent identification.