Project 10073 Record Card — Sighting near Midway Island, 17 September 1960

This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and an associated teletype message detailing an aerial sighting that occurred on September 17, 1960, north of Midway Island. The sighting, which lasted between 20 and 30 seconds, was reported by a pilot and an engineer. The witnesses described an elliptical, bright orange object, approximately the size of a football with a tail, traveling on a horizontal trajectory. The object was observed at an altitude of 7,200 feet, appearing at 5 degrees elevation and 344 degrees azimuth, and was last seen at 19 degrees elevation on a 100-degree azimuth. The weather conditions were reported as clear with low clouds on the horizon and unlimited visibility. The official conclusion recorded on the card suggests that the object was likely a missile, noting that the duration and appearance of the object were consistent with a missile in a known missile range area. The teletype message, dated September 18, 1960, confirms the details of the sighting and was distributed to various military commands, including CINCPACAF, CINCNORAD, and ATIC at Wright-Patterson AFB.