Project 10073 Record Card and Air Intelligence Information Report 57-1

On 8 February 1957, at 090250Z, a group of military personnel at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, observed an unidentified aerial object. The witnesses included S/Sgt Harold G. Simpson, A/2C James A. Bowman, A/2C Johnnie B. Durham, and A/1C R. Watland, who were on duty at the East Control Tower, as well as Major Lester R. Brandt and Captain Harold C. Church, who were airborne in a C-47 aircraft five miles north of the base. The object was described as a round, bright white light, ranging in size from a pea to a basketball. It traveled in a straight and level path from the northwest to the southeast. The duration of the sighting was estimated at 5 to 10 seconds. While some observers reported a small trail behind the object, others did not. No sound was heard, and no optical aids were used. The Control Tower personnel contacted the San Antonio Filter Center and a radar site at Lackland Air Force Base to check for radar returns, but both inquiries yielded negative results. The weather conditions were reported as clear, warm, and dry with minimal wind. The official conclusion reached by the Wing Intelligence Officer, 1st Lt. Russell A. Reed, was that the object was 'probably a meteor.' The report was submitted in accordance with AFR 200-2, though there was a delay in reporting due to the unavailability of some witnesses.