Project 10073 Record Card — Fort Bragg, South Carolina, 18 September 1962

On September 18, 1962, at 0855Z, a sighting of an unidentified aerial phenomenon occurred near Fort Bragg, South Carolina. The primary witness was 1st Lieutenant Gene I. Basel, a pilot with the 352nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, who was accompanied by five other military personnel during a night exercise. The witness observed a bright, hemispherical white light for approximately four minutes. The object was described as being roughly the size of a penny held at arm's length. During the observation, the object performed a parabolic descent, during which it accelerated and developed an elongated, pointed tail that was three times the size of the object itself. The initial observation was made at 60 degrees elevation, and the object eventually disappeared at 45 degrees azimuth and 30 degrees elevation. The witness noted that the light stopped moving as if it had burned up. Weather conditions at the time were reported as high thin scattered clouds with excellent visibility. The official conclusion reached by the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) was that the description of the object was consistent with a flare dropped from an aircraft during military exercises.