Project 10073 Record Card and Incoming Staff Message — Naha, Okinawa, 21 September 1959

This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and an associated incoming staff message from the Department of the Air Force, detailing a UFO sighting that occurred on September 21, 1959, near Naha Air Base, Okinawa. The sighting involved a single object described as round, pea-sized at arm's length, and changing from white to a burning red color. The object exhibited a bright flash with a flaming tail, leaving a trail similar to that of a meteor. The observation lasted approximately 10 seconds. The object was seen by both airborne observers (in a T-33 and an F-102) and ground observers in the control tower at Naha Air Base. The witnesses included several pilots and control tower operators, all of whom were deemed reliable. The weather conditions at the time included scattered clouds, seven-mile visibility, and thunderstorms in the east with lightning. The object was reported to have burst apart and disappeared from sight as a meteor would after hitting the Earth's atmosphere. The report notes that there was no unusual activity of any type and no interception was attempted. The intelligence officer of the 51st Fighter Interceptor Wing concluded that the object was a meteor, noting that no physical evidence was available at the station. The report serves as a formal record of the incident under the requirements of AFR 200-2.