Project 10073 Record — Price, Utah, August 23, 1967

This document contains a Project 10073 record and subsequent correspondence regarding a UFO sighting reported by a civilian on August 23, 1967, near Price, Utah. The witness, who was traveling by car on Federal Route 50 with family members, observed a large, tear-shaped, brilliantly lighted object on the ground at midnight. According to the witness, the object took off from the ground and climbed into the sky at an angle of approximately 30 degrees. During the ascent, the witness noted that the lights dimmed as if regulated by a rheostat, and the object moved at an amazing speed until it disappeared into the stars. Shortly after the object vanished, the witness observed a falling star that burned out before reaching the ground. In a letter dated September 19, 1967, addressed to the U.F.O. Department at Wright-Patterson Field, the witness inquired about the nature of the object, noting that they did not recall seeing any lights on the ground after the object departed. In response, Colonel James C. Manatt of the Air Force stated that while a thorough investigation was not performed due to the report being over thirty days old, the sighting was likely a hot air balloon constructed from plastic clothes bags. The document explains that such balloons are often seen as glowing, translucent objects that remain aloft for five to fifteen minutes before the candles used for heat burn down, causing the light to fade or the object to descend. The Air Force provided the witness with FTD Form 164, inviting them to submit further details if they wished for a formal investigation, while noting that records are typically not kept beyond thirty days.