Project 10073 Record Card — Sighting of Phosphorous Flare, 23 April 1957

This document details an intelligence report concerning a sighting on 23 April 1957, involving a MATS R7V flight crew. The incident occurred at 1655Z near Guam (14.27N 124.00E). LCdr Roach, the pilot, reported observing a sudden, intense light that appeared to be a searchlight or flare. He described a bright ball of light appearing 10 degrees above and behind the aircraft's right wing, which subsequently fell below the wing and extinguished, leaving behind three glowing fragments. The duration of the event was approximately 12 seconds. The crew, including Aircraft Commander LCdr Harrell, concluded that the object was a phosphorous flare fired from the surface. The report was initially filed as a CIRVIS (Communication Instructions for Reporting Vital Intelligence Sightings) report upon landing at Agana, Guam. The documentation includes a series of endorsements routing the report through the Pacific Air Force, Continental Air Defense Command, and the 4602d Air Intelligence Service Squadron, ultimately reaching the Air Technical Intelligence Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The official conclusion recorded on the Project 10073 record card explicitly states that the incident was not reported as a UFO, but rather as a flare. The file includes the original mission report, a detailed statement from LCdr Roach, and various administrative routing slips.