Project 10073 Record Card and Incoming Message — Patrick AFB, Florida, 23 October 1961

This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and an associated Department of the Air Force staff message regarding an aerial sighting on 23 October 1961 at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida. The witness, a pilot from the 6560th Operations Group with 3,503 hours of flying time, reported observing a circular, red object at an elevation of 40-45 degrees. The object traveled in a straight and level path from east to west for approximately 10 seconds before disappearing as a white flash. The witness noted that no sound was heard and no optical aids were used. The report emphasizes that the pilot's reliability is considered excellent and that weather conditions at the time were also excellent. The official conclusion reached by the evaluating agency, ATIC, is that the description conforms to a sighting of a 'fireball' type meteor. The staff message confirms that a check of available sources yielded negative results for other identifications and that the event showed no correlation with missile-associated activities. No photographs were available for the incident.