Project 10073 Record Card and Associated Reports — Klamath, California, November 1962

On 20 November 1962, a sighting of an unidentified aerial phenomenon occurred near Klamath, California. The object was observed for approximately 25 minutes by two witnesses, including a Forestry Service fire spotter and 1st Lt. Milton B. Jones of the 777th Radar Squadron. The witnesses described the object as a diamond-shaped, creamy-white light, roughly the size of a star, surrounded by a blue haze. It exhibited erratic flight patterns, including hovering, and possessed a stream of light or vapor extending from its rear, as well as a rotating beacon at its base. The object was initially spotted at an azimuth of 200 degrees and an elevation of 30-45 degrees. Military personnel, including Major James C. Westall, the Combat Intelligence Officer at POADS, were involved in the subsequent investigation. An RC-121 aircraft (Ethan 55) was directed to the area to investigate but did not sight the object until it was at 12 o'clock high. The object was estimated to be traveling at Mach 2 at an altitude exceeding 2,000 feet. Despite the erratic behavior and high speed reported, the official conclusion reached by the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) was that the sighting possessed characteristics of a balloon. The report suggests that the erratic flight and hovering were conflicting factors, but that a possible leak in the balloon could have created the vapor trail and the appearance of a rotating beacon. The object eventually disappeared by 'hazing out' in the same general area where it was first observed.