Project 10073 Record Card and Incoming Staff Message — Carswell AFB, Texas, 11 Feb 62

On February 11, 1962, at approximately 2220 local time, personnel at the Carswell Air Force Base control tower observed an unidentified aerial phenomenon. The witnesses, including T/Sgt Billy E. Hornaday and A/1C Donald E. Norris, described the object as a cylindrical, white ball of fire, roughly the size of a baseball, featuring a red tail that extended approximately six times the length of the object. The object traveled from NNW to ENE across the sky, remaining visible for 10 to 12 seconds before disappearing instantly without making any sound. A civilian witness, identified as a 41-year-old New York Life Insurance representative, also reported the sighting. The incident was reported to various military commands, including the Air Defense Command and the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC). Additional reports indicated that the object was seen by personnel at Amon Carter Airport, and American Flight 61A, flying between Tulsa and Amarillo at 31,000 feet, reported the object passing overhead eastward. The Air Force conducted an investigation, which included contacting SPADATS (Space Detection and Tracking System) to determine if the sighting could be attributed to satellite decay. A memo dated February 15, 1962, from Sgt Mooly confirmed that there had been no satellite decay since January 31. The official conclusion reached by the Air Force was that the object was likely a meteor, specifically of the fireball class. The report explicitly stated that there was no information to suggest the object posed a threat to the security of the United States or that it was anything other than a natural phenomenon.