Project 10073 Record Card and Incident Report — Wilmington, North Carolina, 31 August 1960

On August 31, 1960, at 1530Z, civilian observers in Wilmington, North Carolina, reported sighting an unidentified aerial object. The object was described as having an irregular shape, approximately three feet across, with an aluminum top, a black bottom, and small fins on both sides. Witnesses reported that the object appeared to be falling or tumbling from just under the cloud cover. The observation lasted approximately ten minutes. The object reportedly landed in a swampy area near a 100,000-volt power line. A local power company lineman was among those who notified authorities. The New Hanover County Sheriff's office attempted to investigate the site but was unable to reach the specific location due to heavy brush and swampy ground conditions. No physical evidence was recovered. The 71st ACW Squadron at Fort Fisher AFS submitted a formal report in accordance with AFR 220-2. The report notes that there was no unusual activity in the area, no intercept action was taken, and no aircraft were in the vicinity. On September 6, 1960, a follow-up request was made to Myrtle Beach AFB to conduct a further investigation and attempt to recover the object. The report was ultimately filed under Project 10073 and categorized as having insufficient data for evaluation.