Project 10073 Record Card - 26 November 1957 Sighting

On November 26, 1957, at approximately 1304Z, a United States Air Force air crew flying at an altitude of 15,000 feet over the Sea of Okhotsk observed an unidentified aerial object. The crew reported seeing a red object with a bluish-green trail moving in a flat, downward trajectory from the southwest to the northeast. The observation lasted between two and three seconds, during which the object arched downward and eventually exploded with a bright, bluish-white flash. The incident was documented on a Project 10073 record card and further detailed in a Fifth Air Force message (Reference OC-WOC-2737, Mission F2438). The pilot described the object as appearing 'sparkling blue and white' with some possible red color, noting that its size was comparable to the planet Venus when viewed at night. Although the crew noted that numerous meteors were observed during the flight, they distinguished this specific incident due to the object's unique direction and its termination by explosion. The Fifth Air Force ATLO (Air Technical Liaison Office) evaluated the report and concluded that the object was a bolide, or fireball. The documentation includes a declassification note signed by Lt. Col. Quintanilla.