Project 10073 Record Card — Norfolk, Virginia, 17 April 1964

On April 17, 1964, at approximately 20:00 local time, the crew of an Avianca jet observed an unidentified object at a great altitude over Norfolk, Virginia. The object was described as having seven powerful, flashing white lights. The crew reported that the object began to move after an initial 'blast,' traveling in a southerly direction. The sighting was reported immediately to the Washington Air Route Traffic Control Center by the Avianca crew and was also observed by an Eastern Air Line flight. The Air Defense Command processed the report under Project 10073. Official investigations determined that no missile launches from Cape Kennedy corresponded with the sighting. The Air Force considered the possibility that NASA activities at Wallops Island might have caused the observation. Captain Hector Quintanilla, Jr., Chief of the Aerial Phenomena Branch, noted that additional data was requested from the flight crew regarding the 'blast' and the sighting, but no reply was received. Consequently, the case was classified as having insufficient data for a formal evaluation, though it was noted as likely being related to NASA activities.