Project 10073 Record Card and Associated Joint Messageforms — Portland, Oregon, September 1960

This document collection details a sighting of an unidentified aerial phenomenon that occurred on September 21, 1960, in the vicinity of Portland, Oregon, and Paine Field, Washington. The event was reported by multiple witnesses, including military personnel, law enforcement officers, and civilians. The primary observation was of a 'fireball' or 'bolide' that appeared to travel from the southwest to the northeast, leaving a trail of sparks or flame approximately three times the length of the object itself. The object was described as a reddish-yellow-white, marble-sized light that broke into several pieces before burning out. The duration of the sighting was estimated at 5 to 10 seconds. A USCG pilot flying a UF2A aircraft at 1500 feet near Paine Field provided a detailed account, noting the object's trajectory and appearance. The incident was investigated by the 35th Weather Squadron and the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) under the guidelines of Air Force Regulation 200-2. The investigation concluded that the phenomenon was likely a 'bolide' class of meteor or a satellite vehicle reentry. The report notes that the sighting correlated with other reports from the same time and date, and that the descriptions provided by various witnesses were consistent. The documentation includes several joint message forms and a record card, reflecting the military's systematic approach to documenting and evaluating such reports under the 'Moon Dust' program, which was used to track reentering space debris and other atmospheric phenomena. The investigation found no evidence of maneuvers or anomalous behavior, and the consensus among the reporting officers was that the event was a natural atmospheric occurrence.