PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD - San Mateo, California - 6 December 1962

This document is a Project 10073 record card detailing a UFO sighting reported by a 13-year-old boy in San Mateo, California, on the morning of December 6, 1962. The witness described a round or oval object, approximately 100 feet in diameter, which appeared as a red ball of flame. The object was observed for two minutes, during which it reportedly traveled at speeds between 100 and 1,000 mph, moved in a northerly direction, and performed maneuvers including hovering and moving sideways. The witness noted that the object made no sound and was observed during foggy conditions. The report includes a personal letter from the witness, who expressed an interest in science and compared the object's appearance to a flying saucer from the movie 'The Day the Earth Stood Still.' The official evaluation by ATIC categorized the report as an 'Unreliable Rpt.' The investigator noted several inconsistencies, including the lack of sound at such a low altitude (100-160 yards), the implausibility of the reported hovering duration in relation to aircraft analysis, and the absence of detail that should have been visible if the object were truly that close.