Project 10073 Record Card and Air Intelligence Information Report — Victoria, Texas, 10 December 1956

This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and an Air Intelligence Information Report regarding a sighting on 10 December 1956 near Victoria, Texas. A USAF pilot from the 452nd Fighter-Day Squadron reported observing a silver object with straight wings and large engine pods or intakes at an altitude between 56,000 and 62,000 feet. The object, which left a small contrail, was observed for 15 minutes traveling from East to North at an estimated speed of Mach .85 to .93. The pilot noted that the object was definitely an aircraft, and the official conclusion reached by the intelligence office was that it was likely a USAF reconnaissance aircraft on an experimental test mission. The documentation includes internal correspondence between the 450th Fighter-Day Wing, the Ninth Air Force, and the Tactical Air Command. The report was initially processed through the 450th Fighter-Day Wing at Foster Air Force Base, but was later noted to have been forwarded to the Ninth Air Force in error, as such reports were required to be furnished directly to the Air Defense Command under Air Force Regulation 200-2. The intelligence officer, 1st Lt. C. E. Belinn, compiled the report, which was subsequently evaluated with a B-2 rating.