Project 10073 Record Card — Palm Springs, California, 26 June 1960

This document details a UFO sighting reported on 26 June 1960 in Palm Springs, California. The observer, a civilian pilot with 4,000 hours of flight experience, reported seeing a brilliant silver, circular or disc-shaped object at an estimated altitude of 20,000 feet. The object was observed for 3 to 5 minutes using 7x50 binoculars. The witness described the object as appearing to 'ride a thermal' and noted that it shimmered or wavered before veering at high speed toward the west and disappearing. The sighting occurred in clear weather conditions. The report was initially telephoned to ATIC by Captain Tomlinson at March AFB. Following the initial report, Major Robert Friend of the Aerospace Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) requested a formal investigation in accordance with Air Force Regulation 200-2, noting that the initial information was too limited to reach a valid conclusion. The investigation requested that the witness provide a diagram indicating the object's height, position, and duration of movement. However, subsequent communications from the 12th Air Division at March AFB indicated that repeated attempts to contact the witness were unsuccessful. The final assessment recorded on the Project 10073 record card states that there was no information to suggest the object was anything other than a balloon.