Project 10073 Record: UFO Observation, 16 August 1968

This document collection details an unidentified aerial phenomenon reported at Craig Air Force Base, Alabama, on August 16, 1968. Approximately 20 flight line personnel observed a white, round object emitting blue-green waves, which observers compared to ripples caused by a rock dropped into a pond. The object was sighted at an azimuth of 115 to 125 degrees from true north, at an elevation of 2 to 5 degrees above the horizon. The light remained stationary for approximately three minutes before suddenly blinking out. Following the disappearance, an elliptical sloped trail was observed. The Aerial Phenomena Office, led by Lt. Col. Hector Quintanilla, Jr., initiated an inquiry to determine if a rocket launch from Cape Kennedy could account for the sighting. Correspondence with the Public Information Office at Cape Kennedy confirmed that a Poseidon rocket launch occurred at the time of the sighting. Air Force officials concluded that the launch was the source of the phenomenon, noting that the bearing, light emissions, and lack of movement were consistent with a rocket launch. The primary discrepancy noted by investigators was the distance of 420 nautical miles between the launch site and the observers at Craig AFB, though it was determined that a 600 nautical mile horizon was reasonable for the altitude at which the phenomenon occurred.