Project 10073 Record Card and Associated Correspondence regarding 10 October 1958 Sighting

This document collection details the investigation of a UFO sighting reported on 10 October 1958 near Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. The initial report, filed under Project 10073, described a cigar-shaped object with a fan-shaped tail and four pin-point lights resembling portholes. The witness, identified in a press clipping as a missile engineer working for Telecomputing Corp. at the Air Force Missile Development Center (AFMDC), claimed to have observed the object through binoculars for approximately six minutes as it hovered above the horizon before vanishing over the San Andres Mountains. Following the report, the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) requested a formal investigation in accordance with Air Force Regulation 200-2, noting that such sightings often generated adverse publicity for the Air Force. AFMDC personnel subsequently interrogated the witness on 17 October 1958. During a follow-up interview on 20 October 1958, the witness recanted his initial report, stating that he had been in error. Further investigation by AFMDC concluded that the object was actually the sun's reflection on the contrails of an F-106 aircraft flying out of Holloman AFB. This conclusion was reportedly confirmed by a representative from the Air Phenomenon Research Organization in Alamogordo. The case was officially closed by AFMDC, with instructions that future inquiries regarding UFOs should be directed to Captain J. A. Woods.