Project 10073 Record Card — Gulf of Mexico, 5 November 1957

On 5 November 1957, the Coast Guard Cutter Sebago, located approximately 200 miles south of New Orleans, reported a series of radar and visual contacts. The initial report indicated that the ship's radar picked up an unknown object at 0510Z, followed by three subsequent radar contacts over a period of approximately six minutes. The radar contacts were erratic, with targets appearing in opposite directions and at considerable distances from one another. A single visual sighting occurred at 0521Z, during which an object resembling a brilliant planet was observed for three seconds, moving in a horizontal direction from south to north. The crew initially reported these events as a single mysterious object, a narrative that was subsequently picked up by the press and television. However, internal military evaluations, including those from the Foreign Technology Division, concluded that the impression of a single object was erroneous. The radar contacts were attributed to anomalous propagation, or 'false targets,' while the visual sighting was determined to be a meteor. The Foreign Technology Division further noted that while some radar speeds were compatible with aircraft, the erratic nature of the signals and the short duration of the contacts strongly suggested atmospheric or electronic phenomena rather than a physical craft. The documentation includes a Project 10073 record card, a detailed narrative of the radar contacts, and a 1963 evaluation by the Foreign Technology Division confirming the assessment of false radar targets and a meteor.