PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD - 14 March 1963

On March 14, 1963, a barrier aircraft reported a CIRVIS (Communication Instructions for Reporting Vital Intelligence Sightings) incident involving an unidentified aerial phenomenon. The reporting aircraft, positioned at 34.57N 176.43W in the Pacific, observed a white, steady, glowing object that appeared brighter than any star on a very clear night. The object was observed for approximately three seconds, moving from East to West at a very high speed. The witness noted the object was falling and eventually disappeared into an overcast cloud layer at an altitude of 5,000 feet. The initial observation was recorded at 15 degrees above the horizon at a 350-degree azimuth. The reporting aircraft itself was flying at an altitude of 9,000 feet (FL90), heading 015 degrees at a speed of 208 knots. The sighting was formally processed by the Department of the Air Force under Project 10073. Following the evaluation of the report, which included confirmation via a phone conversation at 150935Z, the official conclusion reached by the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) was that the event was a meteor sighting.