Project 10073 Record — Sighting Report, Tacoma, Washington, 23 October 1965

This document is a formal record of an Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) sighting reported on October 23, 1965, in Tacoma, Washington. The report, filed by 1st Lt James L. Cotton of the 318th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, details an observation made by a civilian witness. The witness observed a single, round, bright white object, described as being the size of a quarter, for a duration of 45 minutes. The object was initially seen 20 to 30 degrees above the horizon and was observed using 7x35 binoculars. The witness noted that the object moved to a lower angle, diminished in size, and appeared to move directly away from the observer. The report explicitly states there was no tail, trail, or exhaust, and no sound was heard. Weather conditions at the time were reported as clear with no moon, calm winds, and seven miles of visibility. The official conclusion reached by the evaluating agency, FTD at Wright Patterson AFB, was that the object was the planet Venus, which was setting in the West at the time of the observation. The report confirms that there was no intercept action taken, no other air traffic was noted, and no physical evidence was recovered.