Project 10073 Record Card — Sighting of 17 March 1962

On March 17, 1962, at 1334Z, personnel aboard the USS Estes observed an unidentified aerial phenomenon while in the Pacific near the Hawaiian Islands. The sighting, which lasted approximately two seconds, was described as a light blue ball of flame with a blazing trail approximately five diameters in length. Witnesses, including the Commanding Officer and Executive Officer, noted that the object moved from west to east on an almost horizontal trajectory, covering about 20 degrees of arc at an elevation of 30 degrees before burning out at approximately 25 degrees above the horizon. No sound was heard during the event. The observers remarked that the object appeared different from typical meteor sightings due to its horizontal path, brilliance, and apparent nearness. However, official analysis conducted by ATIC concluded that the object possessed all the characteristics of a meteor, with its perceived brightness attributed to its proximity to the ship. The report explicitly states that the horizontal trajectory did not rule out a meteor, and the case was categorized as an astronomical event.