Project 10073 Record Card and Correspondence — April 1956 Sighting, Bakersfield, California

This document contains a Project 10073 record card and a detailed questionnaire response regarding an Unidentified Flying Object sighting that occurred in April 1955. The witness, 1st Lt. Mary L. Storm, reported that while driving north on a highway approximately 50 miles south of Bakersfield, California, she and a companion observed a bright red-orange object. The sighting lasted between 15 and 30 seconds. According to the witness, the object appeared to be a round ball of fire, brighter than the sky but not as bright as the sun. It was observed in front of a mountain range to the east. The witness noted that the object did not emit sound, smoke, or exhaust, and it did not leave vapor trails. The object appeared to stand still initially before moving east and eventually disappearing by being reduced in size piece by piece over the mountains. The witness, who had prior training in the U.S. Naval Reserve, emphasized that she and her companion were honest individuals and were open-minded about the nature of the object, suggesting it could have been an experimental U.S. craft or something from outer space. She explicitly stated that the object was not the sun, as it was positioned below the mountain tops and the sun was overhead at the time of the 10:00 A.M. sighting. The official conclusion recorded on the project card is 'Insufficient Data.' The document includes a sketch of the object's path and its position relative to the mountains and the highway. The witness provided this report in June 1956, noting that she had only recently become aware of the Air Force's interest in such reports.