Project 10073 Record Card and Operational Immediate Messages — 6 March 1963

On 6 March 1963, multiple reports of a bright flash were recorded across Louisiana, Arkansas, and Texas. The sightings occurred around 1637Z and involved various observers, including personnel at Barksdale AFB, a SAC bomber crew, radar sites at Eldorado, Arkansas, airline pilots near Lake Charles, Louisiana, and a SAC B-52 pilot flying west of Dallas, Texas. The reports were consolidated into a Project 10073 record card and followed up by operational immediate messages between military commands, including FTD, NORAD, and AFSC. NAVSPASUR reported a penetration of its fence at 1638:19Z. Official analysis conducted by NORAD using SPADATS data concluded that there was no correlation with any catalogued foreign space objects. The event was officially attributed to the atmospheric entry and disintegration of a meteor or meteorite, specifically noting the presence of the recurring 'Virginids' meteor stream active during that period in March.