Project 10073 Record Cards and Correspondence Regarding UFO Sightings in Washington State

This document collection contains Project 10073 record cards and official correspondence regarding unidentified aerial phenomena reported in Washington State during July and August 1959. Specifically, it details two sightings in Yakima, Washington, occurring on 14 and 15 July 1959. The first incident involved a round, orange object described as the size of a small button, which traveled straight overhead for one minute. The second incident involved two cigar-shaped, orange-red objects, smaller than a dime, which were observed for approximately four minutes. These objects were reported to have lights emanating from a port-hole and were seen switching positions. The reports were initially processed by the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Following an investigation requested by ATIC, the 25th Air Division at McChord Air Force Base determined that the reported lights were actually flares used by Strategic Air Command (SAC) aircraft during refueling missions in the area. The correspondence includes a memorandum from the Office of Information to the Legislative Liaison, intended to inform a Congressman representing the 6th District of Washington State about these findings, effectively closing the inquiry into the sightings by attributing them to known military activity.