Project 10073 Record Card: Sighting E of Japan, 27 May 1960

This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and associated teletype communications regarding an unidentified aerial phenomenon observed on May 27, 1960, east of Japan. The sighting was reported by a KLM co-pilot flying a DC-7C aircraft at 19,000 feet. The witness described a circular object, approximately one-fourth the size of the full moon, appearing bright white with a red tail. The tail was noted to have pieces breaking off and was estimated to be four times the diameter of the body in length. The object was observed for two to three seconds, arcing slightly downward from an easterly direction before disappearing into the distance. The witness, whose reliability was noted as unknown, claimed from experience that the object was not a meteor and estimated its magnitude at minus four to minus five. Official military evaluation, however, determined that the description, flight path, and duration were characteristic of a meteor, though the possibility of a satellite reentry was acknowledged. The report notes that four surface vessels were detected on radar 15 minutes after the sighting, but no direct radar contact with the object was recorded. The document includes a correction to the original message regarding the date of the incident.