Project 10073 Record Card and Associated Incoming Messages — 6 February 1963

On February 6, 1963, a civilian pilot flying a C-46 aircraft reported a sighting of an unidentified aerial object while approximately 15 nautical miles south of the Montebello, Virginia VOR. The pilot observed a bright, spherical object that appeared to vary in intensity and size over a 45-minute period. The object was described as brilliant white with a reddish glow, appearing five times brighter than the brightest star. The pilot noted the object maintained an elevation of 15 to 30 degrees above the horizon while moving from a one o'clock position to a four or five o'clock position. The object eventually faded from view. Official military assessments, including those from the 1001st Air Base Wing and the Foreign Technology Division, concluded that the sighting was likely the result of a NASA Convair aircraft operating in the vicinity of Quantico, Virginia, which was utilizing strobe and landing lights during the same timeframe. Despite this, the report includes a critique from Dr. Hynek, who questioned the committee's azimuth analysis and suggested that the star Vega might have been a factor in the observation. The document also references a separate, possibly related, press report regarding a sighting near Washington, D.C., involving a private plane.