Project 10073 Record Card and Air Intelligence Information Report — Tempe, Arizona, 12 January 1957

On 12 January 1957, at approximately 1125 hours local time, Asa W. Baker, a civilian employee of the Tempe Fire Department, observed an unidentified flying object over Tempe, Arizona. The witness described the object as having the size of a half-dollar and emitting a brilliant light. The object remained stationary at an estimated altitude of 30,000 feet for a duration of five minutes. According to the report, the object appeared almost square at first, but became oblong before disappearing. The witness noted that the object appeared to be a large mirror reflecting the sun. The report was processed by the 3525th Combat Crew Training Wing at Williams Air Force Base. The official conclusion reached by the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) was that the object was a weather balloon. This determination was based on the standard launch times for weather balloons in the region (1030-1100 hours) and the proximity of the sighting to several known balloon launching facilities, including Luke AFB, Williams AFB, Prescott, and Winslow. The report includes a detailed breakdown of the sighting, including weather conditions and the observer's location, and concludes that the physical characteristics and stationary nature of the object are consistent with a balloon.