Project 10073 Record: Sighting Report - Corvallis, Oregon, March 1967

This document is a declassified Air Force sighting report regarding an Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon observed in Corvallis, Oregon, on March 13, 1967. The witness, a 19-year-old student at Oregon State University, reported seeing a round, yellow ball of fire, approximately the size of a small plane, which appeared to have a projecting arm. The object was observed for four minutes, moving across the sky before blinking four or five times and disappearing on the western horizon. The report includes detailed meteorological data for the area, noting clear night skies with some cloud cover. The official conclusion reached by the Staff Intelligence Officer at HQ 26 Air NORAD Division is that the object was a hot air balloon. The report further suggests that the sighting was likely a prank, noting that the object's flight path and take-off from the ground, combined with prevailing wind conditions, indicated the use of plastic bags and candles to simulate a UFO. This conclusion was reinforced by the mention of a recent article describing the construction of such devices, which may have encouraged prankster activity during the weekend of March 11-12, 1967.