PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD — Near Heppner, Oregon, 9 March 1961

On March 9, 1961, at approximately 2000 local time, the crew of a United Airlines DC-6B aircraft (flight 6551) observed an unidentified aerial object near the Heppner intersection in Oregon. The object was described as round, white, and approximately the size of a half-dollar. The sighting lasted for ten minutes, during which the object was observed at an elevation of 30 degrees, eventually disappearing at an elevation of 40 degrees. The flight crew reported a slight movement of the object, which was later assessed by the Air Technical Intelligence Center as likely being the result of the aircraft's own movement. The official conclusion reached by the Air Force was that the object was likely the planet Venus, which was positioned in the northwest at the time. The witnesses reported that they did not see the object disappear, but rather that they flew into an overcast layer that was reported below them. The report includes detailed meteorological data and flight information, noting that the aircraft was flying under VFR conditions on top of cloud layers. The incident was processed under Air Force Regulation 200-2 and forwarded to various commands, including the 25th Air Division and the Air Technical Intelligence Center.