Project 10073 Record Card and Correspondence — Dryden, Washington, January 1959

This document contains a Project 10073 record card and associated correspondence regarding a UFO sighting in Dryden, Washington, on January 12, 1959. A civilian witness reported observing a large, silver, round object hanging motionless at an estimated altitude of 18,000 feet. The witness described the object as being the size of a silver dollar, which then began moving East, appearing to shrink to the size of a pinhead within 60 seconds. The witness provided a detailed, albeit unconventional, interpretation of the event, claiming the object possessed a 'magnetic brain' capable of picking up a person's mind and warning pilots when they were under observation. In a letter dated February 4, 1959, Major Lawrence J. Tacker of the Department of the Air Force acknowledged the report and requested that the witness complete an official questionnaire. Major Tacker pointed out inconsistencies in the witness's account, noting that if the object were the size of a half-dollar at four miles away, it would be approximately 1,000 feet in diameter, rather than the smaller size implied by the witness's comparison. The Air Force emphasized that such reports are valuable for cataloging, but cautioned that stress can lead to inaccurate estimations of size and distance. The record card ultimately categorized the report as an 'Other Unreliable rpt'.