PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD - Sighting Report, Tillamook, Oregon, 1 January 1960

This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and associated military message traffic regarding a UFO sighting reported in Tillamook, Oregon, on January 1, 1960. A civilian witness reported observing a round, reddish-orange object, described as having the appearance of an automobile tail light, at approximately 0130Z. The object remained motionless for 30 seconds before beginning to circle in increasingly wide spirals. It then ascended suddenly at an angle of 60 to 80 degrees before fading from sight. The total duration of the observation was five minutes. The witness noted that the object appeared to have a flame coming from one end, similar to a missile, but explicitly stated that it did not appear to burn out like a conventional rocket. Military intelligence from the 25th Air Division contacted the witness to clarify details, including the object's appearance while stationary and its flight path. The official evaluation by the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) noted that while the observation pattern resembled the refraction of an astronomical body, the elevation and the lack of a corresponding celestial body made this explanation problematic. The report concludes that the circling motion might be attributed to atmospheric fluctuation, but ultimately, due to the lack of specific data regarding the size of the circles and the speed of the object, the case was classified as 'insufficient data.' Internal correspondence suggests the possibility that the object could have been a flare or rocket released to celebrate the New Year, though this remains speculative.