Project 10073 Record Card and Incoming Message — 25 March 1962

This document consists of a Project 10073 Record Card and an associated incoming military message (AF IN 25966) dated March 25, 1962. The report details an aerial sighting observed off the Oregon coast at coordinates 42.27N 126.49W. The primary witnesses were Captain Billy B. Coggen (pilot) and TSgt Payette (flight engineer) of the 965th and 963rd AEW&CON Squadrons, respectively, who were operating an RC-121 aircraft at 15,000 feet. At 1312Z, the crew observed a white object with a tail approximately 15 times the size of the object itself. The object was described as descending in a straight line, turning orange at its extreme end, and slowly disintegrating as it burned out. The duration of the event was estimated at 5 to 7 seconds. The weather conditions were reported as having an undercast at 8,000 feet with clear skies above and unlimited visibility. The military intelligence assessment, filed under the Moon Dust program, concluded that the sighting was likely a routine meteor, though it was also noted as a 'possible re-entering vehicle.' The investigators remarked that while decay information was not yet available, the characteristics of the sighting—specifically the short duration and the disintegration—were consistent with a meteor.