Project 10073 Record Card and Disposition Form — Houma, Louisiana, 29 May 1957

On 29 May 1957, at 2103Z, personnel at the 729th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron in Houma, Louisiana, observed an unidentified object on ground radar. The object was tracked for 14 minutes, maintaining an average speed of 225 knots at an altitude of 10,000 feet. Its flight path was recorded as ESE to SE to E to NE. The radar operators, including Staff Sgt. Robert C. Schenk and A/2C James L. Young, noted that the radar return was atypical, as it lacked the 'fuzzy trail' usually associated with moving targets and appeared tilted approximately 15 degrees from normal. The incident was documented on a Project 10073 record card. A subsequent disposition form dated 10 June 1957, authored by Captain G.T. Gregory of AFOIN-4E4, requested a review of the report. The sighting was initially placed in an 'unknown' category pending further analysis. The official conclusion noted on the record card suggests that 'anomalous propagation' was the most likely cause for the radar return. The documentation includes references to film of the scope, which was sent for processing.