Project 10073 Record Card and Correspondence — Tonopah, Nevada, September 1961

This document collection details a UFO sighting report filed by a geologist employed by the Bureau of Land Management in Nevada. On the night of September 24, 1961, the witness observed two separate aerial phenomena while in the Monitor Valley area. The first object, described as an intensely bright white light, hovered over a mountain ridge in the Toquima Range for eight minutes before descending vertically and extinguishing. The witness noted the presence of cloud-like fumes above the light and estimated the beam diameter at over 100 feet. After attempting to report the sighting to the CIA and Nellis Air Force Base via collect calls, the witness observed a second object while returning to the Wilson Ranch. This second object was described as orange-yellowish, traveling at high velocity in a southerly direction before turning east. The witness later conducted a ground search of the area on September 27, 1961, but found no physical evidence of a landing. The report was subsequently evaluated by the Air Force's Foreign Technology Division. Official analysis concluded that the first object was likely the planet Jupiter, noting that its position near the horizon could account for the witness's perception. The second object, however, was categorized as 'unidentified' because its maneuverability and duration suggested an aircraft, yet this could not be confirmed. The file includes correspondence from 1963, in which the witness contacted the Air Force to express frustration that his report had not been investigated. The Air Force responded by clarifying that the report had been evaluated and placed in their case files, but that no field investigation was deemed necessary due to the detail provided in the initial report.