Project 10073 Record — Sighting in Spring Branch, Texas, 9 May 1966

This document is a Project 10073 record detailing a UFO sighting reported on 9 May 1966 in Spring Branch, Texas. The witness reported observing a long, red-topped, white-tailed object with a blinking red light for three to four minutes. The witness initially suspected it was an aircraft but became concerned when the object descended straight down. The investigation, conducted by Major Laurence R. Leach, Jr. of the 2578th Air Base Squadron, concluded that the object was almost certainly a Cessna Skylane aircraft landing at the nearby Collier Airport. The owner of the airport confirmed that a Cessna Skylane, belonging to a Houston attorney, had landed at the facility. The pilot of the aircraft reported making a rapid descent due to a miscalculation of his base leg while landing to the north. The pilot described his aircraft as red and beige with a rotating beacon on the tail. Although the witness reported the time of the sighting as 2135 hours and the pilot reported landing at 2030 hours, the investigator suggested this one-hour discrepancy was likely due to an error in the reporting process. Major Leach concluded that no further investigation was necessary.