Project 10073 Record Card — Sighting in Benton, Pennsylvania, 11 November 1957

This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and associated teletype communications regarding an aerial sighting that occurred on November 11, 1957, near Benton, Pennsylvania. The report details a sighting by five to six observers, including airline pilots and ground personnel, who witnessed a white object at a very high altitude. The object was described as being the size of a dime held at arm's length. It produced a brilliant explosion, likened to a photo flash bulb, followed by a white vapor trail. The object followed a slight downward path from the northwest to the southeast. The duration of the event was reported as a few seconds. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory evaluated the report and concluded that the phenomenon was a true bolide or fireball. The report notes that while the earth was not approaching the annual Leonids meteor shower at the time, the description provided by the witnesses was consistent with the characteristics of a bolide. The document includes identifying information for the observers, including pilots from Alleghany airlines and personnel at Benton AFS. Weather conditions at the time were reported as clear. The file also references similar previous cases, specifically a Pan American Airways (PAA) case from March 9, 1957, and a western fireball case from October 12, 1957, to support the conclusion that the event was a natural astronomical phenomenon.