PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD - UFO SIGHTING 27 JAN 59

This document collection details a series of UFO sightings reported on January 27, 1959, in the vicinity of West Palm Beach, Florida, Bermuda, and the Atlantic coast. Multiple witnesses, including an aircraft crew at coordinates 3306N 06805W, reported observing a cigar-shaped object with a long, transparent tail and a dazzling white light. Some reports described the object as having a red appearance with sparks fanning out, spiralling, and leaving a luminous exhaust. The object was observed for approximately 10 to 20 minutes before disappearing straight up. The Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) investigated these reports in conjunction with the launch of an Atlas missile from Cape Canaveral, which occurred at 2333Z on the same date. Official conclusions suggest that the witnesses likely observed the Atlas missile, which was visible for approximately six minutes and reached a range of 450 to 500 nautical miles. Despite the identification of the missile launch, some confusion remained regarding the timing of the sightings relative to the missile's flight path, as noted in handwritten annotations on the documents. The reports were compiled by ATIC and distributed among various Air Force commands, including the Air Defense Command and the 1604th Air Base Wing at Kindley AFB.