Project 10073 Record: Sighting of Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon, 27 September 1966

On September 27, 1966, at 1728Z, a civilian pilot flying a Japan Air Lines DC-8 (Flight 62) reported an unidentified aerial phenomenon while over the Pacific Ocean at 34 degrees 20' N, 170 degrees E. The pilot, whose identity is redacted, observed a single, round, bright green object. The object appeared to be the size of a basketball held at arm's length. It approached the aircraft in a descending fashion, then slowed down, appearing to float as if attached to a parachute. The object remained visible for approximately 30 to 40 seconds before disappearing into a cloud bank. The sighting occurred at dawn, with thin cloud layers present to the north. The pilot, whose reliability was assessed as A-2, reported no sound, tail trails, or exhaust associated with the object. The Air Force investigation, documented under Project 10073, noted that the location of the sighting coincided with the Soviet Mid-Pacific impact area. However, the report explicitly states that no Soviet launches were announced for that time, and the timing of the sighting fell outside of the known Soviet test windows. The official conclusion categorized the event as 'Other (Missile Activity)', though the lack of confirmed launches leaves the nature of the object unresolved.