Project 10073 Record Card — Torrejon, Spain, 19 February 1961

This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and the associated teletype report regarding an aerial sighting near Madrid, Spain, on 19 February 1961. The report was filed by MSGT Robert Clark and SSGT George Kajimura of Detachment 11, 21st Weather Squadron, stationed at Torrejon Air Base. According to the observers, at 0514Z, they witnessed a single, exceptionally bright and large object. The object was first sighted at an elevation of 40-45 degrees in an east to east-southeast direction. The observers described the object as moving downward very fast. The total duration of the sighting was estimated at 2-3 seconds. The object eventually exploded at an elevation of 10-20 degrees above the eastern horizon, which resulted in the back-lighting of clouds over ridges approximately 15 miles east of Madrid. One observer noted a distinct separation of particles when the object exploded. The estimated distance at the time of the explosion was 20-32 miles. The initial impression of the witnesses was that the object might have been an aircraft. The incident was processed under the MOON DUST programme. The official conclusion recorded on the Project 10073 card identifies the object as a meteor, noting that all characteristics were consistent with this assessment despite the limited information available. The document was originally classified but had its classification cancelled on 12 May 1969 by Quintanilla.