Project 10073 Record Card: Sighting 170 miles SW of Santa Rosa Island, California, 5 May 1957

On May 5, 1957, at approximately 1100Z, a sighting of two unidentified objects occurred 170 miles southwest of Santa Rosa Island, California. The witness, 2nd Lt. Leland M. Martin, who was operating an AEW&C aircraft at 9,000 feet, observed two round, orange objects, each described as being the size of a basketball. The objects exhibited distinct flight paths: one passed over the witness's aircraft at 10,000 feet traveling from east to west, while the second passed under the aircraft at 8,000 feet traveling from west to east. The duration of the sighting was approximately 30 seconds. The witness noted that the objects appeared to be the afterburner glow of an F-102 jet fighter, though this remained a subjective assessment. Weather conditions at the time included an overcast layer at 5,000 feet with clear conditions at the pilot's altitude and an inversion over the water. The report, processed under Project 10073, concludes that while the objects were likely aircraft, there was insufficient information available to conduct a definitive analysis or reach a firm conclusion regarding their nature.