Project 10073 Record — Bryte, California, 15 August 1965

On 15 August 1965, at approximately 0255 hours, a civilian witness residing in Bryte, California, reported observing an unidentified aerial object. The witness, a 55-year-old employee of the Division of Forestry, described the object as a flat, oval-shaped, chrome-like craft with a brilliant red stripe across its center. The witness estimated the object's size to be comparable to a dime held at arm's length. According to the report, the object appeared to remain stationary for 8 to 10 minutes at an elevation of approximately 45 degrees before beginning a gradual, straight descent toward the ground. The observation lasted between 15 and 17 minutes. The witness utilized a pair of 6x30 binoculars during the sighting. A subsequent investigation conducted by Patrolman Hollis L. Burgess of the Security & Law Enforcement Division at McClellan AFB included a check with the base control tower. The tower personnel reported no aircraft in the area but noted that they had observed an exceptionally bright star, which they believed to be the same object reported by the witness. The official conclusion reached by the investigating authorities was that the object was the planet Mars, which was setting on the western horizon at the time of the report, and that the visual characteristics were consistent with an astronomical body being refracted by the atmosphere.