Project 10073 Record Card — 17 May 1958 Sighting, Belle Glade, Florida

This document consists of a Project 10073 Record Card and associated teletype communications regarding an Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) sighting that occurred on 17 May 1958, approximately 23 miles southeast of Belle Glade, Florida. The primary witness, a 42-year-old truck driver from Fort Lauderdale, reported the incident while traveling on an airboat with his 12-year-old son in a swampy area parallel to the Hillsboro Canal. According to the report, the witness observed a single, cigar-shaped object, described as being the size of a basketball. The object reportedly shifted from a dull orange to a glaring white color as it changed direction. The witness noted that the object had a spotlight at the front and white lights running down both sides. When the object turned vertically, it appeared triangle-shaped. Upon the witness stopping the airboat engine and training a spotlight on the object, it reportedly entered a steep climb and disappeared. The duration of the observation was approximately three minutes under clear, starry weather conditions. The official conclusion recorded on the Project 10073 card is that there was insufficient data for a definitive evaluation. An intelligence officer provided a potential explanation, suggesting that the sighting could have been a large swamp bird, such as a crane, which may have been disturbed by the noise of the airboat engine and the lights flashing on the water during a frog-spearing activity. The teletype message confirms the transmission of these details between the 1707th Air Transport Wing and various Air Force intelligence and command units, including the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) and the Air Defense Command.