Project 10073 Record Card — Dry Tortugas, Florida, 27 August 1957

This document collection details a UFO sighting reported on 27 August 1957, near the Dry Tortugas, Florida. At approximately 2045Z, an object described as a pulsating light, ranging from bright red to reddish yellow, was observed by two pilots and two radar observers. The object was estimated to be traveling at 950 knots at an altitude of 20,000 feet. The sighting was confirmed by the aircraft's APG-51A radar, which tracked a large blip that increased in range from 22 to 30 miles over the course of one minute. An interception attempt was made but was unsuccessful due to the speed differential between the object and the interceptor. The report was initially handled by the Fleet All Weather Training Unit, Atlantic, and subsequently forwarded to the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The investigation involved coordination with various military and civil agencies, including the Air Defense Command, the Eastern Air Defense Force, and the Civil Aeronautics Authority, to account for all air traffic in the area. Analysts initially hypothesized that the sighting was a combination of astronomical objects—specifically Venus and Arcturus—and a lighthouse, which appeared to align with the flight path of the observing aircraft. However, internal notes from the investigation indicate that a careful check of balloon launchings in the area yielded negative results, and the investigators initially concluded the object was 'UNKNOWN' pending further data. The documents include correspondence, message forms, and aeronautical charts used to plot the sighting relative to known landmarks and celestial bodies. The final assessment suggests that the visual and radar phenomena were likely caused by a combination of astronomical objects and random radar signals, though the case remained a subject of internal military inquiry.