PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD — 11 August 1958 Sighting

On August 11, 1958, at 0327Z, an American Airlines pilot flying a DC-7 over Texas reported an unidentified aerial phenomenon. The pilot, a 60-year-old with 27 years of flight experience, observed an oblong, fire-orange object, approximately the size of a golf ball, while flying at an altitude of 12,000 feet near Breckenridge, Texas. The object exhibited a snake-like motion before disappearing suddenly, described as going out like a light. The duration of the sighting was approximately two seconds. The pilot had been monitoring Abilene radio and heard other aircraft discussing sightings of unknown objects, which prompted him to pay closer attention. The report was processed by the 745th ACWRON at Duncanville AFS and forwarded to various Air Defense Command and Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) units. ATIC intelligence technicians reviewed the report and concluded that the object was likely a meteor, noting that the reported snake-like motion was likely an atmospheric effect. An internal ATIC comment on the report noted that while the description was typical of jet exhaust, the lack of specific elevation and azimuth data made a definitive evaluation difficult, ultimately labeling it as having insufficient data for a more precise explanation.