PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD - Oldsmar, Florida - 29 July 1957

This document is a Project 10073 record card and associated teletype correspondence detailing an unidentified aerial phenomenon observed on July 29, 1957, near Oldsmar, Florida. At approximately 11:45 PM EST, witnesses observed a pale yellow, basketball-sized object appearing in the southwest. The object followed a gradual, airplane-like glide path before hitting the water at the head of Tampa Bay, near Safety Harbor Road, where it exploded into multicolored lights. The observation lasted for approximately one minute. The 660th ACW Squadron, under the direction of Senior Director Lt. Gordon W. Smith, conducted an investigation into the incident. The squadron performed a check with the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) and NCF operations to determine if any flares had been dropped or if any aircraft were missing in the area. Both agencies reported no such activity. While the investigators noted that the sighting shared characteristics with a flare or a burning light plane, no evidence was found to confirm either theory. A subsequent search of the area by a Coast Guard helicopter also yielded negative results. The final conclusion recorded on the project card is that the object remained unidentified.