Project 10073 Record Card and Naval Speedletter — La Jolla, California, 15 October 1957

On 15 October 1957, at approximately 160345Z, two Navy pilots flying an HSS-1 helicopter (Side No. TA-1, Buno 140134) from the Naval Air Station at North Island, San Diego, observed an unusual pattern of lights over La Jolla, California. The pilots, LT J. G. Powell and ENS Charles [illegible], reported seeing four or five lights of varying colors and intensities, including red, white, amber, blue, and green. The objects were initially observed at an altitude of 1000 feet, approximately 400 to 500 yards seaward of the coast, before descending to 500 feet at Mission Bay Inlet. The pilots described the lights as forming an inverted tear-drop shape that remained stationary or hovered before moving slowly north. The duration of the sighting was estimated between 30 seconds and 3 minutes. The pilots initially suspected the objects were another helicopter in the area, but the unusual arrangement of the lights led to a later report. The intelligence officer, Major Loren W. Bruner, forwarded the report to the 27th Air Division (Defense) at Norton Air Force Base in accordance with Air Force Regulation 200-2. The investigating officer, LTJG W. J. Fischang, concluded that the available information was inadequate to establish a positive cause for the sighting, noting inconsistencies in the description provided. The official conclusion on the Project 10073 record card was marked as 'Probably Aircraft'. The documentation includes sketches of the light patterns provided by the pilots, which depict a complex arrangement of steady and pulsating lights.