Project 10073 Record Card — 4 Dec 60

On December 4, 1960, at 2310 hours, Airman Second Class William T. Willard, stationed at the Alert Tower AFaw-3 at North Island, San Diego, California, observed an unidentified aerial phenomenon. The witness described the object as a round, extremely bright blue light, approximately the size of a dime. The object was observed for a duration of two seconds, during which it maintained a straight flight path toward the SSE before disappearing in nearly the same position where it was first sighted. The witness reported the sighting while getting out of his vehicle. The report was filed in compliance with paragraph 15 of Air Force Regulation 200-2. The document notes that the report was submitted significantly after the event occurred, making it impossible to determine if the radar system had tracked the object. Meteorological conditions at the time included scattered clouds at 2,500 feet and high broken clouds. The official conclusion reached by the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) was that the object's behavior, specifically the slight change in position and the rapid fading, was characteristic of a meteor.