Project 10073 Record Card — Naha AB, Okinawa, 5 September 1959

This document is a Project 10073 record card detailing a UFO sighting that occurred on September 5, 1959, at Naha Air Base in Okinawa. At 1440Z, multiple military personnel from Detachment 1, 313th Air Division, observed six round, white, flare-like objects with tails resembling short contrails. The objects were initially observed at a 10-degree elevation and moved from south to north. The witnesses reported that the objects were arranged in two rows of three abreast, which then shifted into a 'V' formation of five, before disappearing one by one until only a single object remained. The total duration of the sighting was approximately 20 seconds. The objects were estimated to be the size of a nickel held at arm's length, and their speed was estimated at approximately 2222 MPH. The report includes a detailed list of the observers, who were primarily Airmen Third Class and Airmen Second Class, along with an Army Intelligence Specialist. The official conclusion reached by the evaluating agency, ATIC, was that the witnesses likely observed a large meteor during its final stages, with the perceived climbing motion and formation changes attributed to illusions caused by perspective or relative brightness. The investigating officer noted that the observers appeared sincere and that there was no evidence of routine activity that could explain the sighting. Physical evidence was reported as negative.