Project 10073 Record Card and Incident Report — Reno, Nevada, 12 June 1959

This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and associated teletype correspondence regarding an unidentified aerial phenomenon reported on 12 June 1959 in Reno, Nevada. The witness, TSgt Douglas J. Lawson of the 3635th Flight Line Maintenance Squadron, observed a motionless, silvery-grey object while parked at the intersection of Evans and 4th Avenues. Lawson, described as a reliable and stable supervisor with significant aircraft experience, reported that the object appeared to be roughly the size of a quarter held at arm's length and was positioned at an estimated altitude of 6,822 to 7,222 feet above the Sierra Mountain range. The observation lasted approximately 15 minutes, during which the object remained motionless before disappearing instantaneously. The report notes that there was no sound associated with the object and no air traffic in the area at the time. Following an investigation, the official conclusion reached by the Air Technical Intelligence Center was that the object was likely a large weather balloon that had burst at high altitude. This conclusion was supported by reports from the Reno Tower regarding a large balloon in the area and confirmation from the Reno Weather Service that a weather balloon had been released on 10 June 1959.