Project 10073 Record Card and Associated CIRVIS Reports

This document collection comprises a series of incoming military messages and a Project 10073 record card detailing a sighting that occurred on October 8, 1960. Multiple reports were received regarding a 'fireball' or 'rocket/flare' observed off the coast of California, approximately 250 miles west of San Francisco. The primary observation was made by aircraft 'ETHAN 44' at 0445Z, while flying at 6,000 feet. The witness described the object as a ball of fire, significantly larger than an ordinary falling star, which remained in sight for four seconds. The object featured a long, glowing tail composed of particles breaking off the main body, and it was observed descending at an angle of 10 to 20 degrees from the vertical in a west-northwest direction. The light emitted by the object was described as being much brighter than a normal falling star, with colors shifting from red to blue and red-orange. Other reports from the vicinity, including observations from the SS Japan Bear and the Oregon Aeronautical Board, corroborated the sighting of flares or bright objects in the area. The official conclusion reached by the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) was that the phenomenon was a bolide, a type of meteor. The documentation includes various internal military communications, including CIRVIS (Communication Instructions for Reporting Vital Intelligence Sightings) reports, which were routed through multiple commands including NORAD and the 28th Air Division.