Project 10073 Record Card — Sighting near Dover, Delaware, 9 April 1960

This document contains a series of records and correspondence regarding a UFO sighting reported on 9 April 1960, seven miles north of Dover, Delaware. Two witnesses, an Airman First Class from the 98th Fighter Interceptor Squadron and a civilian plumber, reported seeing three objects in a trail descending toward the horizon. The initial report described the objects as round, oblong, bright yellow, and grapefruit-sized, accompanied by a faint one-second whistle. The witnesses were driving in an automobile with the windows closed at the time of the observation, which lasted approximately 7 to 10 seconds. The report notes that the witnesses were likely influenced by a 4 April 1960 Washington Airdefense Sector directive to be on the lookout for the fall of Sputnik III. Following the initial report, the 1607th Air Transport Wing conducted a re-interrogation of the witnesses on 18 April 1960. This subsequent investigation refined the description of the objects, noting that the lead object was larger than the others and that the cluster appeared to be the size of a quarter held at arm's length. The final conclusion reached by the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) was that the witnesses had observed the breakup of a meteor as it entered the Earth's atmosphere. The case was officially categorized as a meteor, and it was determined that no further investigation was warranted. The document includes the original Project 10073 record card, internal military messages between the 1607th Air Transport Wing and ATIC, and a final summary report signed by Major Cornelius L. Reagan.