PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD - Sighting Report 4 November 1956

This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and associated teletype communications regarding an unidentified aerial phenomenon reported on November 4, 1956. Military pilots flying between Montreal and Prestwick reported observing a large white ball that left a trail before exploding. The object appeared to have a white star with a gold background or flare and was observed descending to an altitude of 17,000 feet. The 922nd ACW Squadron received three similar reports from aircraft in the same vicinity. Additionally, an Icelandic DC-4 aircraft en route to Goose Bay from Keflavik reported seeing an object northwest of its position, approximately 50 miles south of Ocean Station Bravo, which it described as a large white ball that left a trail and then exploded. Following an evaluation of the reports, the official conclusion reached by the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) was that the sightings were likely the result of rocket test firings conducted by the USS Rushmore. A teletype dated November 14, 1956, confirmed that the USS Rushmore was located in the Davis Straits and was conducting test firings of rockets in the area between Frobisher Bay and Goose Bay, Labrador, at the time of the sightings. The documentation includes internal military correspondence routing the report between various commands, including the 64th Air Division, the Air Defense Command, and the Directorate of Intelligence at USAF Headquarters, to ensure the incident was properly evaluated and attributed to the known military activity.