Project 10073 Record Card — Reardon, Washington, January 1961

This document is a collection of records and correspondence regarding a series of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) sightings reported near an Atlas Missile Site in Reardon, Washington, on January 13 and 14, 1961. Multiple witnesses, including security guards and civilians, reported seeing bright, spherical lights in the sky. Descriptions of the objects varied, with some witnesses comparing their size to a pea at a distance and others to a basketball when closer. The objects were described as having red, orange, and blue lights, and were observed hovering, moving rapidly, and performing maneuvers that witnesses compared to a helicopter. Some witnesses reported the objects jumping several thousand feet in altitude before disappearing behind clouds. The Air Force conducted an investigation, which included interviewing witnesses and reviewing weather data. Initially, the reporting officers were unable to identify the source of the lights. However, further investigation by the 92nd Bombardment Wing revealed that a privately owned helicopter was operating in the Spokane area during the nights of the sightings. The helicopter was equipped with a non-standard, alternating flashing red beacon arrangement, which the pilot had installed to ensure visibility during night flights. The investigation concluded that this helicopter was the source of the reported lights, noting that the unusual lighting configuration was unfamiliar to most observers. The report includes individual witness questionnaires, which provide consistent accounts of the lights' appearance and behavior, and confirms that no physical evidence of landings or terrain disturbance was found at the missile site.