Project 10073 Record — Mather AFB, California, 1 January 1966

This document is a formal Project 10073 record and associated Air Force incoming message regarding an Unidentified Flying Object sighting at Mather Air Force Base, California, on 1 January 1966. The report details an observation made by two witnesses, SSGT Joseph A. Schulze and A3C John W. Paxton, Jr., both of whom were on duty in the Mather Control Tower. The witnesses described a circular, grapefruit-sized object that appeared green in color. The object was observed descending at a 15-degree angle from the vertical, accompanied by a green tail approximately 15 to 20 feet long. The observation lasted for 5 to 6 seconds. According to the report, the object appeared to float and then disintegrate before reaching the ground. The witnesses noted that the object did not perform any maneuvers. The report explicitly states that there were no photographs taken, no physical evidence recovered, and no radar contact made. The weather conditions at the time were noted as having freezing temperatures at the surface with a sharp surface inversion topping at approximately 1,300 feet. The Base Operations Officer, after interviewing the witnesses, concluded that the object was, in all probability, a meteorite. The document includes administrative routing information, noting that an advance copy was delivered to the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) via the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).