Project 10073 Record Card — Sighting of 13 December 1960

On December 13, 1960, at 1849 GMT, Captain William E. Labranche of the 551st AEW&CON Wing reported an unidentified aerial phenomenon while piloting an RC-121D aircraft. The sighting occurred at an altitude of 8,000 feet, located ESE of Nantucket Island, Massachusetts (4044N 6440W). The witness described the object as elliptical, resembling a football, and approximately the size of a dime. Initially appearing blue-white, the object turned bright red upon disappearance. A notable feature was a trail that began at the nose and fanned out rapidly, reaching twice the size of the object at the tail, with an additional slight trail behind the object measuring about one-quarter of its length. The object was observed for approximately five seconds, traveling in a WSW direction at a true airspeed of 210 knots. The pilot noted that the object performed no maneuvers and was observed descending behind a deck of stratus clouds. Weather conditions at the time included an undercast 500 feet below the aircraft. Captain Keith H. Morehouse, the Wing Intelligence Officer, processed the report. The official conclusion reached by the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) was that the object was likely an astronomical meteor. This assessment was based on the object's duration and description, as well as the fact that the Earth was passing through meteor showers during that period, which the investigators deemed a more plausible explanation than satellite reentry given the object's trajectory. No physical evidence, photographs, or radar contacts were associated with the incident.