Project 10073 Record Card and Incoming Staff Message — Osan AB, Korea, September 1961

This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and a series of incoming staff messages from the 314th Air Division at Osan Air Base, Korea, regarding a UFO sighting on September 14, 1961. At approximately 1918 local time, two OSI special agents, John Q. Hyde and Bill H. Hayes, observed an unidentified object in the sky near Chicol Village. The object was described as round, white, and turning to red, appearing larger than the stars. It remained stationary for two to three minutes before performing vertical flight, 90-degree turns, and sharp, fast movements. The observers noted that the object moved at a speed greater than any known aircraft and made no sound. The sighting lasted approximately 12 minutes before the object faded from sight. A second sighting was reported on September 18, 1961, involving an object that moved from east to west, performed sharp side-to-side and vertical movements, and then hovered before turning south. The 314th Air Division conducted an investigation led by 1LT Bruce E. Smith. The official conclusion was that the sightings were likely caused by conventional aircraft, specifically an F-102 conducting maneuvers in the area, or a weather balloon. The report explicitly states that no unknown tracks were detected on GCI radar and that the chief tower operator did not see the object. The investigators noted that the observers were reliable, logical individuals who had not been drinking, but concluded that the reported high speeds and maneuvers were likely the result of observer error. There was no evidence found to suggest that the object posed a threat to national security.