Project 10073 Record Card and Associated Correspondence — 23 September 1960

This document contains a Project 10073 record card and associated military correspondence regarding an Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) sighting reported on September 23, 1960. The witness, a civilian truck driver, observed the object while driving between Wendover and Salt Lake City, Utah. According to the report, the witness first observed a spear-shaped object that appeared to be the size of a silver dollar. As the object descended, it appeared to grow in size and changed from a silver color to a pulsating red-orange. The witness described the object as hovering before traveling at a very high rate of speed toward the southwest, noting that the speed would make a jet appear to be standing still. The observation lasted approximately 40 minutes. The witness observed the object through the rear-view mirror of his truck. Military authorities, specifically the 29th Air Division and the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC), processed the report in accordance with Air Force Regulation 200-2. The official conclusion reached by the investigating officers was that the object was the planet Venus being refracted. Captain H. W. Gilbert, the reporting officer, provided additional commentary suggesting that the sighting could potentially be attributed to a weather balloon, an airplane, the planets Saturn or Jupiter, or a lenticular cloud, noting that such objects are often prevalent over the mountains and can create illusions under certain conditions. The documentation includes the original record card, multiple teletype messages between military units, and a formal Joint Messageform detailing the description of the object, the circumstances of the observation, and the final assessment.