Project 10073 Record Card and Air Intelligence Information Report — Sighting of 3 December 1953

This document comprises an Air Intelligence Information Report and a Project 10073 Record Card detailing a UFO sighting reported by Captain William L. Clutter of the 417th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 50th Tactical Fighter Wing. On 3 December 1953, at 031025Z, while on a routine flight at an altitude of 26,000 feet, Captain Clutter observed an oblong object that appeared as a blue flame. The object was described as being the size of a pea held at arm's length. The sighting lasted approximately four seconds, during which the object moved across the pilot's flight path, initially at a 40-degree upward angle before descending to approximately 2 degrees and moving toward the northwest. The pilot reported that the object either burned up or disappeared from sight due to distance. Weather conditions at the time were reported as good, with clear visibility for the sighting, though there was some ground haze and cloud cover at 12,000 feet. The report notes that Captain Clutter is considered a reliable pilot. However, the Wing Intelligence Officer, Major Orson P. Carter Jr., noted that no unusual reports had been received from regular intelligence channels to corroborate the sighting, and therefore it was given a low rating. The official conclusion reached by the reporting unit is that the description and duration of the sighting are characteristic of a meteor. The report explicitly states that there is no physical evidence associated with the event.