Project 10073 Record Card and Investigation Report — Pensacola Bay, Florida, July 1960

This document details the investigation into a reported unidentified aerial phenomenon that occurred on July 15, 1960, in Pensacola Bay, Florida. A civilian fisherman reported seeing a red-hot, bubbling object, approximately three feet in diameter, fall straight down into the waters of the bay at approximately 0345 hours. Shortly after the object entered the water, the witness reported hearing an explosion-like sound. The investigation was initiated following a telephonic request from Colonel William Van Meter of the Aero Space Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) to the Resident Agents Office in Pensacola. Special Agents interviewed the primary witness and other individuals in the area, including a charter boat captain who had observed the object from across the bay. The investigation confirmed that the object had entered the water, and the Sixth Naval District was tasked with recovery efforts. On July 26, 1960, Captain H. C. Delong, Commanding Officer of NAS-Pensacola, directed Navy scuba divers to attempt to locate the object. The operation was conducted in the area identified by the witnesses, but it proved unsuccessful. The search was hampered by approximately three feet of soft mud at the bottom of the bay, the presence of debris, and a shortage of funds. Consequently, the recovery attempt was abandoned. The official conclusion reached by the investigating authorities was that the object was likely a meteorite that had failed to burn up completely in the Earth's atmosphere, though the possibility of it being a part of an artificial Earth satellite was also considered. The report includes administrative notes requesting that ATIC be kept informed of the investigation's progress and confirms that the District Intelligence Office had no previous records of the individuals involved. The file also contains correspondence from the Aerial Phenomena Research Organization (APRO) regarding other UFO reports, which the Air Force addressed by citing atmospheric conditions or common objects, such as the planet Mars, as explanations for those sightings.