PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD — Point Arena, California, 4 November 1956

This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and associated teletype communications regarding a radar sighting on November 4, 1956, at the Air Force Station in Point Arena, California. Two unidentified objects, described as being slightly larger than a DC-7 aircraft, were detected by ground electronic radar. The objects were tracked at altitudes of 21,000 and 25,000 feet, moving in a southerly direction at an erratic speed of 6 to 10 knots. The duration of the radar contact was recorded as 99 minutes for the first object and 61 minutes for the second. The report notes that weather conditions included scattered clouds below 4,500 feet with clear skies above. Despite the official conclusion on the record card stating that winds and duration indicated the sightings were caused by balloons, the teletype correspondence reveals a more nuanced internal assessment. It is noted that while a weather balloon might account for one target, the varying altitude—specifically the rising motion of the objects—heavily discounted the balloon theory. An RC-121 aircraft searched the area from 4,500 feet with negative results. The Air Division of Intelligence and other Navy organizations were consulted, but no definitive explanation was found for the radar returns. The objects were tracked against the wind, and at 0554Z, a similar target was picked up ten miles behind the original.