Project 10073 Record: Sighting Report - Odessa, Texas, 12 September 1965

This document contains a Project Blue Book sighting report regarding an unidentified aerial phenomenon observed on September 12, 1965, near Odessa, Texas. The primary witness, Will Haden, an ex-WWII pilot, reported seeing a reddish light with a blue trail moving in a straight line across the sky. The observation lasted between 30 and 60 seconds. Haden, who was in an open area 15 miles northwest of Odessa at the time, initially mistook the object for a satellite but noted that its speed was significantly higher than that of a satellite. He also reported hearing a faint, jet-like sound after the object had disappeared. The report includes a formal questionnaire completed by Haden on September 17, 1965, and a memorandum for the record dated September 13, 1965, detailing the initial report received by Captain Conkle at Webb AFB. The official conclusion reached by Project Blue Book was that the object was a meteor, noting that the reported characteristics—such as the color, trail, and flight path—were consistent with a meteor sighting. The Air Force requested that Haden complete a formal FTD Form 164 for further evaluation, as the initial information was deemed insufficient.