Project 10073 Record Card — San Bernardino, California, 19 July 1956

This document details the investigation of a UFO sighting reported on 19 July 1956 in San Bernardino, California. A 15-year-old witness claimed to have photographed a saucer-shaped, metallic object while lying in his backyard. The witness reported the object was approximately 600 yards away, silent, and moved to the north before disappearing. The Air Force initiated an investigation under Project 10073, assigning it report number IR-01-56. Upon analysis of the photographic negative and prints, the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) concluded that the sighting was a hoax. Analysts noted that the object appeared to be a small item very close to the camera lens, rather than a large craft in the sky, and that the lighting and shadows on the object were inconsistent with the surrounding environment. The investigation became a point of contention due to the witness's initial reluctance to surrender the negative and subsequent media coverage in the Los Angeles Examiner. The Air Force expressed frustration over the incident, citing it as a significant waste of government time, money, and manpower. The file includes extensive correspondence between the 27th Air Division, the 4602nd Air Intelligence Service Squadron, and ATIC regarding the handling of the negative, the return of the materials to the source, and the potential for adverse publicity. The document also contains supplementary information on other sightings from July 1956, including reports from Kentucky, Indiana, and Arkansas, which were compiled for informational purposes. The final administrative actions involved returning the negative to the source, Mr. Tom Towers, who was identified as an actor in a documentary film about UFOs, further complicating the Air Force's assessment of the report's legitimacy.