Project 10073 Record Card: Sighting in Santa Monica, California, 5 August 1956

On August 5, 1956, at 0642Z, a ground-based observer at the Santa Monica Ground Observer Corps (GOC) post reported a sighting of an unidentified aerial object. The witness, who had initially sighted the object in Venice, California, described it as a single round object displaying red, blue, and yellow colors, accompanied by a trail. The object was observed for a duration of three to five minutes, during which it was seen gaining altitude and traveling in a southerly direction. The weather conditions at the time were reported as clear. Following the report, 2nd Lt. R.T. Jarvis of the 669th ACW RON conducted an investigation, which included checking all available sources for information regarding the sighting, ultimately yielding negative results. The official evaluation concluded that the description of the object, specifically the presence of a trail, met the criteria for a jet aircraft. Consequently, the sighting was classified as a possible aircraft.