Project 10073 Record Card — Sarasota, Florida, 5 November 1957

On November 5, 1957, at 2225Z, a sighting of an unidentified aerial object was reported by 1/LT Gordon W. Smith Jr., a control tower operator at the Sarasota Airport in Florida. The witness, who was observing the contrails of a B-47 aircraft to determine wind drift, noticed a brilliant, silvery object. The witness observed the object through 8x50 binoculars. According to the report, the object appeared to reflect sunlight and was described as having a metallic appearance. The object moved in a westerly direction, climbed to a higher altitude, and appeared to slow down before eventually fading away. The total duration of the observation was approximately two minutes. Weather conditions at the time were reported as clear with high scattered cirrus clouds. The official conclusion reached by the evaluating authorities was that the object was an aircraft, noting that the color and maneuvers were characteristic of such, and suggesting the observer likely saw a high-flying jet. Alternative possibilities mentioned in the documentation included a high-altitude balloon or the satellite Sputnik. The report was processed through military channels, including the 662nd AC&W Squadron and the 35th Air Division, and was filed under Project 10073.