Project 10073 Record Cards and Correspondence — Houston, Texas, January 1958

This document collection contains Project 10073 record cards and official Air Force correspondence regarding three separate UFO sightings reported by a civilian in Houston, Texas, in January 1958. The witness, who wrote to TIME magazine, described three distinct events. On January 3, 1958, the witness observed a star-like object descending near the constellation Cygnus. On January 12, 1958, the witness reported seeing a brilliant, orange-colored object that appeared to be burning, which they observed through binoculars. On January 14, 1958, the witness reported seeing four oval-shaped objects flying in formation at low altitude, which they estimated to be under 150 feet. The witness speculated that these objects might be related to operations at Ellington Field. The Air Force response, authored by Major Lawrence J. Tacker and Nicholas Post, dismissed the reports as unreliable. The Air Force stated they had no record of a burning object on January 12 and suggested the January 14 objects were likely high-flying jet aircraft. The January 3 sighting was later categorized by the Air Force as a bolide. The correspondence highlights the Air Force's frustration with civilian reporting methods, noting that the witness should have contacted local police or fire departments rather than a national magazine. The documents emphasize the difficulty of evaluating sightings without accurate data, such as photographs, precise azimuths, or bearings.