Project 10073 Record Card — 24 Aug 60, Vicinity Sitka, Alaska

This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and a supporting military cable regarding an aerial sighting reported on August 24, 1960, in the vicinity of Sitka, Alaska. The witness, identified as a Northwest Airlines pilot named Captain Ashman, reported observing a bright flash at 1145Z. According to the report, the object appeared as a bright flash that was initially yellowish in color, subsequently changing to green and then to red before disappearing instantaneously toward the northeast. The duration of the observation was estimated to be between 1.5 and 2 seconds. The object was described as being 20 degrees off the pilot's west wing, descending at an angle of 60 degrees. The report explicitly notes that there were no radar contacts or photographs associated with the event. The investigation was conducted by Captain Arthur G. Lockard of the United States Air Force. Based on the characteristics of the observation, the official conclusion reached by the evaluating agency, ATIC, was that the phenomenon was an astronomical event, specifically a meteor or a meteorite in the process of disintegrating within the Earth's atmosphere. The documentation includes a formal military cable (RJKDAG 233) sent from AAC Elmendorf AFB to various Air Force commands, including the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, confirming the details of the sighting and the final assessment.