Project 10073 Record Card — Atlantic Ocean Sighting, 1 November 1959

This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and an associated incoming military message regarding an aerial sighting on 1 November 1959. At 2320Z, the crew of the merchant vessel M/V Rio de La Plata, located at 31.14N 61.57W in the Atlantic Ocean, observed a bright object. The witness, identified as the COTD officer, described the object as a white-blue meteor of great intensity that appeared to be falling. A notable feature of the sighting was a red gas wake that remained visible for approximately 20 minutes. The weather conditions at the time were reported as clear with a temperature of 75 degrees Fahrenheit and a visibility of 99. The incident was reported via emergency military channels to various commands, including CINCNORAD and the RCAF Air Defense Command. The official conclusion reached by the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) was that the object was an astronomical meteor. The case was specifically retained in the project files due to the unusual persistence of the trail left by the object, which the observer noted remained for 20 minutes.