Project 10073 Record Card — Sighting of 5 December 1960

This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and associated naval messages detailing an unidentified aerial phenomenon sighting reported by the USS Gunston Hall on December 5, 1960. At 0248 local time, the Officer of the Deck, LTJG A. H. Clark, and the Junior Officer of the Deck, GMC V. Walker, observed a spherical, bright red object. The object was described as being the size of a pea, with a tail streaming behind it that diminished in brightness, appearing roughly the width of a silver dollar. The object was observed for approximately four to five seconds as it fell straight down, moving from an elevation of 50 degrees at a bearing of 357 degrees to an elevation of 20 degrees at the same bearing. No sound was heard during the event. The weather conditions were reported as clear with 40 percent cloud coverage, unlimited ceiling, and surface visibility of 15 to 20 miles. The observers noted that the object appeared to break up and extinguish rapidly. The commanding officer of the vessel, having considered the reliability of the witnesses, concluded that the object was a meteor of the fireball class. The report notes that there was no physical evidence, no radar contact, and no interception or identification action taken. A specific note on the record card mentions that 'Zeta II' came down on the same date, though it clarifies that no data was available regarding the specific time or location of that event. The documentation includes the original naval message sent to various commands, including PACAF and the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, confirming the details of the sighting and the official assessment.