Project 10073 Record Card and Related Correspondence — Nome, Alaska, March 1960

This document collection details the investigation into an unidentified aerial phenomenon reported on 14 March 1960 in the vicinity of Nome and Teller, Alaska. Multiple civilian witnesses, including a student and a technician at Anvil Mountain, reported observing a bright, fiery orange-red object traveling from the southeast to the northwest. Witnesses described the object as having a swishing sound and noted that it appeared to explode into two pieces with a bright blue flash. One witness reported being blinded for approximately two seconds by the intensity of the light. An airline pilot also reported a similar sighting, describing a bright flash that appeared to result from an explosion behind his aircraft at an altitude of approximately 4,500 feet. The investigation, conducted by the 11th Air Division (Defense) under the guidelines of AFR 200-2, involved interviewing witnesses and coordinating with local authorities. The official conclusion reached by the Air Force was that the object was a large meteor of the 'bolide' type. The report notes that such fireballs are known to explode, which accounts for the observed flashes and the thunder-like sound reported by witnesses. The document includes correspondence regarding the public's reaction to the official explanation, noting that some witnesses disagreed with the meteor identification. The investigation was closed with the determination that the event was a natural astronomical phenomenon.