Project 10073 Record Card — Little Rock, Arkansas, 5 November 1962

On 5 November 1962, at approximately 1130Z, a civilian couple located seven miles southwest of Little Rock, Arkansas, observed an unidentified aerial phenomenon. The witnesses, identified as a painter and a housewife, described the object as a single, elongated, bright star-colored entity, approximately three feet in length, accompanied by a vapor trail. The object was observed for 30 minutes prior to dawn and faded as the sun rose. The sighting was reported to the 825th Strategic Aerospace Division at Little Rock Air Force Base. An investigation conducted by 2nd Lieutenant John R. Quirk of the 384th Bomb Wing (SAC) concluded that the sighting was a result of Operation Firefly, which was being conducted at Eglin Air Force Base at the time. The report notes that Operation Firefly accounts for the observed vapor trails. While the object was initially considered as a potential astronomical body, specifically the star Spica, the reported 25-degree elevation and the absence of first-magnitude objects in that position led the investigator to dismiss an astronomical explanation in favor of the effects of Operation Firefly. No physical evidence was recovered, and no interception or identification action was taken by military authorities.