Project 10073 Record Card — Chase Field, Beeville, Texas, 13 December 1957

On 13 December 1957, at 2318Z, two military pilots, 1st Lt T.J. Voulgaris (USMC) and Lt J.G. J.B. Horton (USN), observed two unidentified aerial objects while flying at 38,000 feet near Chase Field, Beeville, Texas. The pilots described the objects as brilliant white, resembling shooting stars or comets, with a size comparable to a dime. The objects exhibited a tail 12 to 15 times their diameter and an exhaust trail 4 to 5 times their size. The first object passed at the 2 o'clock position overhead, while the second object moved 80 degrees to the right of the nose, 8,000 feet above the aircraft. The objects traveled in straight lines at an estimated speed of 3,000 knots. The first object was observed for 2 to 3 seconds, and the second for 3 to 4 seconds. The objects eventually disappeared over the construction of the aircraft, with the second object appearing to fade as if blocked from the rear. No radar contact was made by ground or air assets. The Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) concluded that the objects were undoubtedly meteorites, specifically part of the Geminid meteor shower, which was at its peak during the time of the sighting. The report notes that 20 to 40 Geminids are typically observed per hour during this period.