Project 10073 Record — Sighting 201, Fresno, California, 13 August 1957

This document collection details a UFO sighting reported by a civilian resident of Fresno, California, on August 13, 1957. The witness, who had previously contacted the 4602d Air Intelligence Service Squadron in 1956, submitted a formal account of an object observed at 10:46 PM. The witness described the object as a round, dull aluminum craft with a three-quarter dome, roughly the size of a large cantaloupe. The object was observed for eight seconds, moving at an estimated speed of 150 mph at an altitude of 1,200 feet, traveling in a southeasterly direction. The witness noted that the object made no sound and had no lights, and that it maintained a straight flight path before performing a slight upward shift and disappearing behind trees. The witness provided a rough sketch and a sworn statement regarding the observation. Upon review by the Air Defense Command, the report was processed under the log number AISS-UFOB-398-56. The official military assessment concluded that the sighting was likely the result of 'over-active imagination,' a determination that mirrored the evaluation of the witness's previous 1956 report. The Air Defense Command instructed that the report be treated as unreliable and handled with caution to prevent public attention. The correspondence highlights the frustration of the witness, who expressed difficulty in finding local authorities to whom they could report such sightings, noting that even local newspapers and air field operations were unaware of proper reporting channels. The documents include the original Project 10073 record, the official transmittal from the Air Defense Command to the Air Technical Intelligence Center, the witness's letter to Captain Charles W. Godsey, and the witness's detailed attachment describing the event.