Project 10073 Record Card: UFO Incident 6 March 1963

On March 6, 1963, a series of sightings occurred in Southern California involving an unidentified aerial object. The initial report, filed under Project 10073, describes a silver object observed by F-101 pilots at 50,000 feet, estimated to be at 100,000 feet traveling at 500 knots. The object was described as a bright, white, star-like light with no discernible features, contrails, or exhaust. The sighting was reported in the vicinity of Santa Barbara, Vandenberg, and Oxnard. Two F-101 pilots, Captains Elmer R. Ehrlich and Louis E. Vaught, observed the object while on a flight. They reported that the object appeared to move from the Santa Barbara area toward Vandenberg and Los Angeles. The duration of the sighting was initially reported as 5-10 minutes, though later documentation corrected this to one hour and 12 minutes. The object disappeared instantaneously to the East, described by the pilot as being like a lightbulb turning off. Subsequent investigation by military authorities, including information provided by Lt. Apley, the Range Officer at Pt Mugu Naval Base, identified the object as a high-altitude test shot. Pt Mugu had released a balloon with a metallic parachute and a chaff package at 1047Z. The package drifted 132 nautical miles from the release point. The military concluded that the object was this metallic parachute and that the reported motion to the West was an error in observation. Despite the official explanation, the reporting officer noted that the wind direction at the time would have prevented a free balloon from moving East to West as described by the pilots. The report includes detailed weather data and pilot statements, noting that the pilots were considered reliable. The incident was formally submitted in accordance with AFR 200-2.