Project 10073 Record Card and Air Intelligence Information Report — New Orleans, Louisiana, 5 December 1957

This document details an investigation into an incident occurring on 5 December 1957 in New Orleans, Louisiana, where an unidentified object penetrated the wall of a private residence. The initial report, filed by Detachment 8 of the 1006th Air Intelligence Service Squadron (AISS), describes an object that struck a home after traveling from a westerly direction, passing through a metal screen and embedding itself in a wall. The occupant of the house, who attempted to remove the object, suffered blistered fingers because the item was extremely hot upon impact. The object was described as a cylindrical, aluminum-constructed item, approximately nine inches long and 1 3/8 inches in diameter, featuring four holes in the rear plate and a strong iron-oxide odor. A joint investigation conducted by the 1006th AISS and the 8th Naval District, in coordination with the New Orleans City Police, determined that the object was not of extraterrestrial or advanced aerial origin. Instead, it was identified as an H-131 parachute flare. Investigators concluded that the flare had been fired by a civilian in the neighborhood, noting that other similar spent flares were discovered in the vicinity. The physical specimen was subsequently forwarded to the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, for further analysis. The report concludes that the matter was a local police issue rather than a military or intelligence concern. The documentation includes multiple record cards and teletype messages confirming the identification and the transfer of the physical evidence.