Project 10073 Record — Sighting Reports, July 1966

This document contains a collection of U.S. Air Force technical information questionnaires and internal reports regarding a series of sightings that occurred on the night of 6 July 1966 in the vicinity of Dayton, Ohio. Multiple civilian witnesses, including an officer from the Dayton Police Department, reported seeing a bright, multi-colored object moving from the southeast to the northwest. Witnesses described the object as a 'ball of fire' or a 'falling star' that appeared brighter than the moon and exhibited a conical shape with a tail. The object was observed for a very short duration, typically between one and three seconds, before it appeared to disintegrate in the air. Several witnesses noted that the object was silent and moved at a high rate of speed. The Air Force investigation, conducted under Project 10073, concluded that the sightings were consistent with a meteor or fireball event. The reports were coordinated with the American Meteor Society, specifically referencing Dr. Olivier, to confirm the nature of the phenomenon. The documentation includes detailed personal accounts from witnesses, including their locations, the weather conditions at the time, and their subjective estimates of the object's speed and size. The consensus among the reports and the official conclusion is that the phenomenon was an astronomical event.