Project 10073 Record Card — Mexico City, 13 December 1957

This document contains a Project 10073 record card and associated correspondence regarding a UFO sighting reported by a civilian in Col Anahuac, Mexico, on December 13, 1957. The observer reported seeing 15 to 20 objects over the Mexico City Central Airport at approximately 0935 hours. The objects were described as having varied shapes, appearing 'oblique' or round from the bottom, and exhibiting fluorescent, multi-colored lights. The witness estimated the objects were at an altitude between 50,000 and 100,000 feet, moving slowly from West to East with random, non-ordered motion. The observer provided detailed sketches of the objects, noting they appeared to be approximately 80 meters in diameter and were seen by multiple witnesses, including members of the Mexican Air Force. The observer expressed significant awe, stating they had never believed in such things until witnessing the event. The official response from the USAF, dated January 15, 1958, and signed by Captain Robert E. O'Connor, acknowledged receipt of the report and sketches. The military response noted that there were no reports of unusual activity from radar, flight, or military units in the area at the time of the sighting. A handwritten note on the official correspondence suggests the event was likely a misinterpretation of conventional phenomena, such as swirling clouds or wind-borne dust devils, with the observed colors attributed to the interplay of light from the early morning sun. Despite the initial 'unidentified' classification on the record card, the final assessment provided by the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) leaned toward a natural explanation.