Project 10073 Record Card — Crossville, Tennessee, 6 January 1964

On January 6, 1964, at approximately 1907 local time, a military witness flying in the tail compartment of a B-52 aircraft observed an unidentified aerial phenomenon near Crossville, Tennessee. The witness described the object as a 'ball of flame' that appeared to be breaking up or exploding. The witness noted that the object was much larger than a typical meteor and observed it losing small flaming particles before it was completely extinguished. The duration of the sighting was estimated at three seconds. The witness, who was flying at 525 knots at the time, reported that the object was falling. The official conclusion recorded on the Project 10073 record card identifies the event as a meteor observation. The witness completed a U.S. Air Force Technical Information Sheet on January 7, 1964, providing details of the sighting and noting that the object's appearance was similar to pictures of large meteors or re-entering satellites.