Project 10073 Record Card — Crestview, Florida, 17 March 1963

On 17 March 1963, at 0145Z, an Airman Second Class (A/2C) stationed at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, reported observing two unidentified objects over the town of Crestview. The witness, an instrumentation mechanic, described the objects as delta-wing shaped, appearing the size of a pea held at arm's length. The objects were observed for a duration of 2-3 seconds, traveling in a straight line from East to West at an elevation of 30 degrees without performing any maneuvers. The witness noted that the objects were grey, lighter in color than the dark sky background, and resembled the shape of an F-102 aircraft, though not necessarily the same size. The objects were silent, left no exhaust or trail, and eventually blended into the darkness of the sky. The witness, who was looking at the sky casually, reported the incident to his superiors on 20 March 1963. An official investigation was conducted by Major Paul B. Ying of the Deputy for Foreign Technology. The investigation concluded that the sighting was likely of two birds. This conclusion was supported by the observation that two birds at an altitude of 35 feet would travel approximately 100 feet in 2-3 seconds, which was deemed the limit of visibility for dark objects of that size under the existing clear night conditions. Despite consultations with various base operations and test range personnel, no other explanation for the identity of the objects was found.