Project 10073 Record — National City, California, 17 August 1966

This document contains a Project Blue Book record regarding an unidentified aerial phenomenon reported on 17 August 1966 in National City, California. The witness, a civilian, observed a single bullet-shaped object with a round nose and a blunt rear. The object was described as blue-green in color with a vapor or extended ionization trail, accompanied by four distinct bright red broken lines. The observation lasted approximately four seconds as the object descended while traveling from west to north-east. The witness, who was in a car with their ten-year-old son at the time, initially reported the sighting to the 751st Radar Squadron at Mt. Laguna Air Force Station. The official Air Force conclusion categorized the object as an 'Astro (METEOR)'. The file includes correspondence from Major Hector Quintanilla, Jr., Chief of Project Blue Book, dated 31 August 1966, informing the witness that the initial report was insufficient for evaluation and requesting further details via FTD Form 164. The document also includes a newspaper clipping from the San Diego Evening Tribune dated 19 August 1966, which reports on a bright meteor flash observed over Pennsylvania and Ohio, providing context for the Air Force's assessment of such phenomena during that period. The witness provided extensive personal commentary on their observations, expressing a belief that the object was a satellite or similar technology, and noted a second sighting 25 hours later.