Project 10073 Record Card and Incoming Staff Message Branch Reports — 13 March 1964

On 13 March 1964, at 1640Z, a pilot flying over the Pacific Ocean reported a peculiar, flashing, and tumbling object. The sighting, which lasted approximately 15 minutes, was documented via a CIRVIS report. The pilot described the object appearing out of a white, domed-shaped cloud on the horizon to the northeast. This cloud, estimated to be 15 degrees wide, rose rapidly and eventually broke into a white arc resembling a rainbow, followed by a thin tail and a white glowing ball with a flashing light in the center. The object reached an elevation of 50 degrees above the horizon before the arc and tail disappeared, though the flashing light continued to move toward the southwest until it passed below the horizon. The pilot, who had previously witnessed three nuclear explosions, noted that the initial appearance of the dome strongly resembled the mushroom cloud associated with such events. Official military records confirm that a missile was launched from Vandenberg at 1600Z, but the observed object could not be correlated with this or any other known missile testing in the area. The incident was formally recorded under Project 10073, with copies distributed to various intelligence and military commands, including the CIA.