Project 10073 Record Card and Related Correspondence — Nome/Unalakleet, Alaska, February 1960

This document compilation details a series of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) sightings reported in Alaska between February 14 and March 6, 1960. The primary incident occurred on February 14, when multiple civilian witnesses, including an airline station manager named Pete Walsh, reported a bright, tubular, silvery object with orange flames and a trail of sparks moving across the sky between Nome and Unalakleet. Witnesses described the object as moving at tremendous speed with no sound, and some observers noted it appeared to explode and disappear. The Alaskan Air Command initiated an investigation under the guidelines of AFR 200-2. While initial press reports speculated that the object might be a manned aircraft or a Soviet intrusion, the Aerospace Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) and Dr. Christian T. Elvey of the University of Alaska concluded that the object was a very bright meteor. This conclusion was based on trigonometric calculations of the object's altitude, which was estimated at approximately 100 miles, and the lack of evidence for a controlled vehicle, satellite, or missile. A second sighting on March 6, 1960, involved an airline pilot and co-pilot who reported a bright flash behind their aircraft, which they described as blinding. This incident was also investigated by the Alaskan Air Command and similarly attributed to a meteor or 'bolide.' The documents include internal Air Force memos, incoming teletype messages, and correspondence with Senator E. L. Bartlett, who had inquired on behalf of constituents concerned about the sightings. The Air Force maintained that the sightings were consistent with natural phenomena and that no evidence existed to suggest the presence of unidentified aircraft or foreign incursions. Despite the official conclusion, the documents reflect ongoing public interest and skepticism, with some witnesses, including Pete Walsh, publicly disagreeing with the meteor identification and calling for further study of the Alaskan coastline.