Project 10073 Record Card and Incoming Message - 20 Nov 61

This document consists of a Project 10073 Record Card and an associated incoming Air Force message regarding an unidentified aerial phenomenon reported on November 20, 1961. The incident occurred at 0235Z, approximately 60 miles west of Newport, Oregon, at coordinates 44 degrees 44 minutes North and 124 degrees 40 minutes West. The witness, identified as a Captain from the 4625th Support Squadron at Adair Air Force Station, was noted as a reliable pilot. The witness described the object as a yellow, soft-ball-shaped entity with the appearance of a ram-jet engine emitting a bluish flame and a tail measuring 1.5 to 2 feet in length. The object was observed for approximately 6 seconds, during which it performed a straight 40-degree dive into the clouds. No sound was heard, and no radar contact was reported. The weather conditions at the time were clear at the pilot's altitude, with an undercast and a cloud layer at 26,000 feet. The official conclusion recorded on the Project 10073 card is that the object was an astronomical meteor, with the comments section noting that the sighting possessed the characteristics of a meteor observation. The message also notes the presence of other aircraft in the vicinity, specifically two Navy A3D aircraft flying at 36,000 feet.