Project 10073 Record — Austin, Texas, 16 March 1967

On March 16, 1967, a civilian observer reported a sighting of an unidentified aerial object near Mansfield Dam, 14 miles west of Austin, Texas. The observation lasted for over an hour, beginning at approximately 0130Z. The witness described the object as having red and green lights that appeared to swing back and forth, while the object itself remained stationary or hovering. The observer used 7x35 field glasses to view the object, which appeared round at the top. Military intelligence at Bergstrom AFB conducted an investigation, initially considering the possibility of a helicopter or a balloon. However, inquiries with local agencies, including Camp Mabery and Goodfellow AFB, confirmed no such activity in the area during the time of the sighting. Furthermore, radar checks at the Austin Municipal Airport, Bergstrom AFB, and the AC&W site at Lackland AFB yielded no evidence of unusual activity. The final conclusion reached by the project was that the object was the planet Venus, noting that Sirius was also visible at an elevation of 43 degrees and 190 degrees azimuth at the time of the report.