PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD — 15 May 1963 Sighting Report

On May 15, 1963, multiple observers across Louisiana reported a V-shaped or triangular object with a ball of light at its apex. The sighting occurred between 1412Z and 1426Z. The object was described as white, very bright, and having a trail. Four distinct observations were recorded: two ground-based observations near Lecompte and Kolin, one air-visual observation by a Delta Airlines pilot on flight 677, and one air-visual observation by a pilot of an F-102 aircraft from the 122nd Fighter Interceptor Squadron landing at New Orleans Naval Air Station. The object was reported to move rapidly toward the South or Southeast. The Wing Intelligence Officer noted that the uniform angle above the horizon and similar azimuth observed from widely separated locations suggested the object was at an extreme altitude. The official conclusion linked the event to a meteorological rocket launch from Eglin Air Force Base, with a secondary suggestion that it could have been the re-entry of materiel associated with Astronaut Cooper's flight.