Project 10073 Record Card — Fairbanks, Alaska, 29 December 1956

On 29 December 1956, at approximately 0656Z, three observers in Fairbanks, Alaska—a tower operator and two airline pilots—witnessed a circular, pea-sized object displaying red, bluish-white, and green colors with a tail. The object was observed for a duration of two to five seconds, moving in an arc to the right and downward. The weather conditions were reported as clear with scattered clouds and no wind. The observers, including a tower operator who had witnessed similar events in the past, concluded the object was a flare. Jet aircraft were ruled out as a potential cause due to the lack of engine noise and the absence of known jet activity in the area at the time. Subsequent investigation by the 5004th AISS, in coordination with the local Territorial Police, confirmed that residents in the ridge area west of the airport were known to possess and occasionally fire flares. Although the police had been unable to apprehend the specific individuals responsible for these incidents, the official assessment concluded that the sighting was a flare fired by persons unknown.