Project 10073 Record Card and Correspondence — Rector, Arkansas, December 1957

This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and associated correspondence regarding a UFO sighting reported by Sidney Dortch on Route #2 in Rector, Arkansas, in December 1957. The witness observed a round, white object, described as being larger than a star, for a duration of 20 minutes. The object was seen moving in a West by Southwest direction and was observed to be slowly descending. As the object neared the earth, its brightness faded into a reddish or orange glow before it eventually became invisible and appeared to burn out. The witness noted that the light emitted by the object was distinct from other visible lights in the sky. The report includes meteorological data for the time of the sighting, indicating clear conditions with no clouds and 10-15 miles of visibility. The official military assessment, provided by the 461st Bombardment Wing and reviewed by the Air Defense Command, concluded that the sighting could not be properly evaluated because the observer failed to provide necessary azimuth and elevation data. The report was forwarded to the Air Technical Intelligence Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base for further consideration.