Project 10073 Record — Mesquite, Texas, 11 June 1966

On June 11, 1966, a group of four individuals in Mesquite, Texas, observed an unidentified object in the night sky. The witnesses, who identified themselves as high school graduates, reported seeing an object resembling a star moving across the sky at approximately 10:30 P.M. Initially suspecting it might be a satellite, they concluded it could not be one due to its erratic flight path. According to the report, the object performed three ninety-degree turns within a twenty-minute period. It exhibited variable speeds, including periods of slowing down, speeding up, and coming to a complete stop for three to four minutes. Following this pause, the object reportedly accelerated into outer space at a speed described as faster than anything the witnesses had previously observed. The witnesses provided a hand-drawn diagram illustrating the object's course, which included three ninety-degree turns and a final stop before departure. They emphasized that the night was crystal clear and that they were not writing the letter as a joke. On July 20, 1966, Major Hector Quintanilla, Jr., Chief of Project Blue Book, responded to the witnesses from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. He informed them that the information provided in their letter was insufficient for a formal evaluation. He requested that they complete FTD Forms 164 and return them in an enclosed envelope, and provided a brochure describing the Project Blue Book program.