Project 10073 Record Card: Sighting Report - Guam, 29 September 1960

This document comprises a Project 10073 record card and associated correspondence regarding an unidentified aerial phenomenon reported on September 29, 1960, at NAS Agana, Guam. At 1235Z, radar personnel detected a target at a range of 20 miles, which proceeded on a collision course toward the base, reaching a distance of 2 miles before contact was lost. The target was estimated to be traveling at 2880 knots. During the tracking, the antenna tilt was adjusted from 2-3/4 degrees to 5-1/2 degrees. Two observers, E.G. Bowman and R.E. Harvey, both AC1 USN, reported a visual sighting of a pale blue light using binoculars, which was lost when the observer turned away for a second. The observers reported no sound. The weather conditions at the time were noted as 12/12 overcast with slight breaks. The report was forwarded to the Aerospace Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) for analysis. In a memorandum dated November 14, 1960, Roy L. James, Acting Chief of AFCIN-4E1, evaluated the report. He concluded that the provided facts were insufficient for a definitive analysis. He noted that the short duration of the observation (approximately one-third of a minute) made correlation between the radar and visual data difficult. Furthermore, he stated that the lack of a known aircraft in the area, the absence of sound, and the target's flight path mitigated against it being a conventional aircraft. Ultimately, the assessment suggested that the incident was likely caused by anomalous propagation, a phenomenon known to produce false radar targets that appear to travel at extreme speeds.