Project 10073 Record Card and Related Correspondence — Sighting of 21 January 1960

This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and subsequent military correspondence regarding an aerial sighting on 21 January 1960. At 1357Z, in the Pacific at coordinates 22-06N 179-49E, an unidentified object was observed by crew members of a military aircraft. The witness, an AD2 stationed in the tail turret, observed the object for approximately five seconds. The object was described as emitting yellow-orange smoke and appearing as a white streak as it penetrated a multi-layer cloud bank at a 30-degree angle to the horizon. Upon entering the overcast, the object disappeared, and a black cloud subsequently rose to an altitude of approximately 6,000 to 7,000 feet. The pilot and copilot also observed this black cloud. The sighting was recorded on an ICS tape, and photographs were taken of the event. The official assessment, as noted on the record card, suggests the phenomenon was a possible missile burnout, given the location was within a known missile range. However, the report explicitly states that there was no confirmation and that the available data was insufficient to definitively conclude it was a missile, despite all indications pointing toward that conclusion. The correspondence between ATIC and the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) tracks the status of the evidence, specifically the tape and photographs, which were requested for further evaluation. The final status of the evidence indicates that the operational summary and tapes were forwarded by DIRNSA on 25 March 1960, while the photographs were to be forwarded by the CNO upon completion of processing. The document was later declassified under AFR 205-1, paragraph 2-17a, on 2 January 1968.