Project 10073 Record — Rural Hall, North Carolina, 17 May 1967

This document contains the official record and subsequent correspondence regarding an Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon (UAP) sighting that occurred on 17 May 1967 in Rural Hall, North Carolina. Two witnesses reported observing a round, bright orange object that appeared to be performing maneuvers around a jet aircraft. The witnesses described the object as moving in a zig-zag pattern, unlike the straight flight path of the jet. The object was noted to be luminous and left no vapor trail, nor did it produce any audible sound. The Air Force, through the Foreign Technology Division and the Aerial Phenomena Branch (Project Blue Book), initiated an investigation into the incident. Correspondence between the Air Force and the witnesses highlights the difficulty in establishing the exact date of the sighting, with the witnesses eventually confirming it occurred on 17 May 1967. The documentation includes the original Project 10073 record, technical information questionnaires completed by the witnesses, and internal Air Force messages regarding the report. The official conclusion for the sighting was recorded as 'UNIDENTIFIED'. The witnesses, who were familiar with aircraft, explicitly stated that the object was not an airplane.