Project 10073 Record Card — Sighting of Unidentified Aerial Object, 20 September 1956

This document is a Project 10073 record card detailing an unidentified aerial object sighting reported by the USS Takelma (ATF 112) on September 20, 1956. The sighting occurred in the Pacific Ocean at coordinates 35N 131.15W. According to the report, the witness, identified as the CO OOD lookout, observed a rocket-shaped object with no lights, which left a vapor trail. The object was described as being black in color and appearing the size of a dime at arm's length. The object was observed for approximately 11 seconds while traveling at an estimated speed of 600 MPH. The report notes that the object was observed in good light conditions, but the observation was obscured before binoculars could be brought to bear. The official evaluation concluded that the data provided was insufficient. The investigators noted that the duration of the sighting was short, there was no burning associated with the object (ruling out a meteor), and that the speed or duration estimates were likely in error. Furthermore, the report lacked sufficient positional data to determine the object's total path. The document includes multiple communication headers indicating that the report was transmitted to various military commands, including CINCONAD, the 6th Army, and the 4th Air Force, for review.