Project 10073 Record Card and Incoming Message — Carswell AFB, Texas, 12 March 1961

On March 12, 1961, at 2212Z, a UFO sighting was reported at the USAF Hospital at Carswell AFB, Texas. The witness, SSGT John G. Niber, observed two round, bright silver objects, described as being the size of nickels, positioned side-by-side at an estimated altitude of 40,000 feet. The objects were observed for approximately five minutes. According to the report, one object disappeared by moving straight up, while the second object disappeared by moving southward. The witness reported no sound associated with the objects. A second individual, MSGT Andrew Karol, was also present but was dismissed from the hospital before he could be interviewed. The investigating officer expressed significant reservations regarding the reliability of SSGT Niber, citing a previous head injury that made his account appear incoherent at times. Consequently, the officer concluded that Niber's information could not be judged as reliable or unreliable. The official assessment provided by the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) suggests that the objects were likely high-flying B-58 aircraft. The report notes that the Convair facility at Carswell operates B-58s, which are large delta-winged aircraft that can appear as discs at high altitudes and are often not audible from the ground. The report concludes that there is no explainable course for the sighting other than the probability that they were aircraft, and confirms that no physical evidence was recovered.