Project 10073 Record — Caracas, Venezuela, 11 December 1965

On December 11, 1965, at 1130 Zulu time, a military observer, 2nd Lieutenant Robert D. Vinson of the US Army IAGS Venezuela Project, witnessed an unidentified aerial phenomenon in Caracas, Venezuela. The observer, located in the Chuao section near La Carlotta Airport, reported seeing a single, orange-red spherical object for approximately 40 seconds. The object appeared as a flaming sphere with a tail measuring roughly one-third of its diameter. The observer noted that the object maintained a steady course, traveling from east to west before turning north. The object was observed at an elevation of 20 degrees and an azimuth of 315 degrees, eventually disappearing from view when it was obstructed by buildings. The observer reported that there was no sound associated with the object and that there were no aircraft in the area. Weather conditions at the time were clear with unlimited visibility. The report notes that while the object's appearance was similar to a meteor, the duration and the reported turn in its flight path made that explanation unlikely. The possibility of a jet with an afterburner was also considered but dismissed due to the lack of sound and the absence of jets in the vicinity. The official evaluation concluded that the object was unknown, noting it was too large to be an aircraft without sound or a satellite. No physical evidence was recovered.