Project 10073 Record Card — Metairie, Louisiana, 1 November 1962

On November 1, 1962, a civilian witness in Metairie, Louisiana, observed an unidentified aerial phenomenon while driving home along Veteran's Highway. The witness initially perceived the object as a piece of sky writing, but after observing it for approximately ten minutes, she and her husband concluded it was an aircraft. The object was described as a shiny white streak that turned pink and then red, with a red light appearing at the front. The witness estimated the object's altitude at 2,000 feet and noted that it ascended rapidly until it was lost to sight. The witness reported the incident to the FBI, the Weather Bureau, and the Air Force. Following a letter to the President, the Air Force requested that the witness complete a formal technical information sheet. The official Air Force conclusion for the sighting was that the object was an aircraft contrail, with the observed colors attributed to the reflection of the sun.