Project 10073 Record — UFO Sighting, Phan Rang, Republic Viet Nam, 10 Dec 66

On December 10, 1966, at approximately 1800Z, a UFO sighting occurred at Phan Rang Air Base in the Republic of Vietnam. The primary witness, A1C Dennis R. Bulkley, a security guard with the 35th Air Police, observed a yellow, football-shaped object for approximately 20 seconds. According to the report, the object initially appeared to be the size of a football, but as it approached and passed, it rapidly diminished to the size of a golf ball before fading. The object maintained a straight and level flight path at an estimated altitude of 2,500 to 3,000 feet, heading 040 degrees over the runway. Just before disappearing, the object reportedly jerked upward before returning to its original level. No sound was heard during the observation. The weather was clear with good visibility, and no clouds or haze were reported. The sighting was corroborated by four other air policemen stationed at different locations around the base. Lt. Mathew Bird, an intelligence officer with the 35th Tactical Fighter Wing (35TFW), debriefed Airman Bulkley and noted that the witness appeared sincere and accurate in his reporting. Despite the corroboration, the official conclusion categorized the event as an 'Astro (METEOR)(FIREBALL).' The report notes that similar sightings were reported at Cam Ranh Bay around the same time, though those reports described a slow-moving object resembling a weather balloon with a light attached. Because the Phan Rang control tower and GCA facility reported no traffic and no radar contact, and the base weather station confirmed no weather balloons were airborne, the discrepancies between the sightings led to a statement that a conclusive evaluation could not be made at that time.