Project 10073 Record Card and Related Correspondence — Nome, Alaska, December 1957

This document is a collection of reports and intelligence assessments regarding a series of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UFOB) sightings that occurred in the vicinity of Nome, Alaska, on December 6, 1957. The reports involve multiple witnesses, including 36 civilians, a dentist, and an Alaska Native Service School teacher. The sightings were reported in five distinct parts, with descriptions of the objects varying from a round, flame-red object with a long tail to an oblong, white-gold object that turned red behind clouds. Witnesses described the objects as having a flat trajectory and a straight flight path, with some reports noting the object appeared to spin or bounce. The duration of the sightings was generally reported as 20 to 30 seconds. The initial conclusion on the record card suggested a meteor sighting; however, the subsequent intelligence assessment by the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) expressed skepticism regarding the consistency of the reports, citing the heterogeneous nature of the witnesses. The ATIC officer proposed three potential explanations: a bolide (fireball), a high-speed F-102 jet aircraft recently introduced to the Alaskan theater, or Soviet jet aircraft testing in the St. Lawrence Island area. Despite these theories, the incident was officially classified as an UNKNOWN. The document includes a hand-drawn sketch of an object resembling an oil drum with flames and blue sparks, which was described by the witnesses. The investigator noted that while some reports might be exaggerated or influenced by the jiggling of binoculars, the witnesses were considered reliable. The document concludes that further investigation was warranted, though no evidence of an aircraft wreck or crash was found as of February 1958.