Project 10073 Record Card — Waynesville, North Carolina, 5 Oct 61

On October 5, 1961, at approximately 2150 local time, a civilian observer in Waynesville, North Carolina, reported sighting an unidentified aerial object. The witness described the object as being larger than an aircraft, silver in color, and featuring three neon-like lights. The object was observed to be spinning and moving from the south to the north before disappearing. The witness attempted to track the object using a telescope; however, the subsequent report noted that the witness appeared unfamiliar with the operation of the telescope, as they were unable to provide azimuth or elevation data or estimate the duration of the sighting. The incident was formally documented under Project 10073. Military intelligence channels, including the 63rd Troop Carrier Wing and the Air Technical Intelligence Center, processed the report. A check of the area revealed that a Strategic Air Command (SAC) KC-97 tanker was operating in the vicinity at an altitude between 10,000 and 19,000 feet at the time of the sighting. Despite the initial lack of sufficient data to reach a definitive conclusion, the Wing Intelligence Officer eventually categorized the object as a probable weather balloon. The weather conditions at the time were reported as unrestricted.