PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD 12. CONCLUSIONS Wos Balloon Probably Balloon Possobly Balloon OATETIME CROUP TYPE OF OBSERVATION 0 Ground Vo suol 0 GroundRodor Wos Aircraft P robobl y Ai rcroft C Air-VIsual 0 Air-Intercept Radar Possobly Alrctoh Wos Astronomical ((lt. Tc-0~ Probobl y Astronomo col Possibly Astronomical LENCTH OF OBSERVATION HUMBER OF OBJECTS ln-'ufliclent Oato for Evaluation which exploded ? nnd 6 sPc- into many nns,.~nrH na IO. BRIE II SUMMARY 01" SICHTIH~ound reddish Objt/ GIIall " c oMMENTS 1 witness apparently sa"' objt part~ about 1/4 size of large ones . FirJ t ob- ~efore meteor exploded , while other 1 on <;~rv~r ...,aw one objt Gplit into 'lfter it h.ld e.q.u .. cded. De."icriptio n l~rge fragnent~. 2nd saw 12-14 of characteri.:;tic of o. type of x:eteor c-al_e, varying . izes. c::p1osion and a.urati... n out tni3 c 1u3ion. ATIC YOAIIC 329 (REV 26 SltP 52) DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE STAFF MESSAGE DIVISION .1\F IN : 57321 ( 24 Mar 61) INCOMING MESSAGE ACTION: CIN- 14 OOP- 2 , OOP-CP-1, SAFS- 3 DOE RJKAG 175 FM COMDR AAC ELMENDORF ArB ALAS TO RJWFALXADC ENT AFB COLO RJ EDSQ AT IC WPAFB RJEZHQ/ COFS USAF AFCIN SAFS RJ EZ HQ/0 SAF COMAL SEAFRON I. A. SHAPE: NOT DISCERNABLE, ONLY ROUND, AS A LIGHT SOURCE. B. SIZE:NOT DISCERNABLE; SMALL PARTS ABOUT 1/4 SIZE OF LARGE ONES, BUT IMPRESSION OF' SIZE CAME NOSTL Y FROM THE INTENSITY OF THE LIGHT C. COLOR: ONE OBSERVER SAID REDDISH, OTHER MADE NO OBSERVATION AT ALL. D. NUMBER: FIRST OBSERVER SAW ONE OBJECT SPLIT INTO "MANY", WITH ABOUT FOUR LARGE FRAGMENTS: SECOND SAW 12-14 OF' VARYING SIZES. E. FORMATION: SCATTERED PATTERN F. FEATURES OR DETAILS: NONE. G. TAIL, TRAIL, OR EXHAUST: ONE OBSERVER SAW NONE AT ALL, OTHER FELT SLIGHT STREAK EF'FECT '~AS CAUSED BY THE po:-~SISTZ~ICY or: T 4=: H. SOUND: NONE. I. OTHER PERTINENT FEATURES: BOTH USED PHRASE "TUMBLING" OR ''ROLLING" STATEMENTS MADE INDEPENDNTL Y Or EACH DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE STAFF MESSAGE DIVISION INCOMING MESSAGE Page 3 of 5 INTO THE UNDERCAST WHICH WAS IMMEDIATELY BELOW, BliT SAID THEY SEEMED TO BE DIMMING, AND MIGHT HAVE STOPPED GLOWING. SECOND OBSERVER SAID THEY ENTERED CLOUDs. F. LENGTH OF TIME IN SIGHT: FIRST OBS. 6 SECONDS. SECOND OBS. 2 SECONDS. III. A. MANNER OF OBSERVATION: AIR-VISUAL B. OPTICAL AIDS. NONE. C. AIRCRAFT: TYPE P2V-7 HEADING: 136T ALTITUDE: 8 , 5 00 FT LIGHT CONDITIONS, CLEAR NIGHT HOME STA.: KODIAK, ALASK~ V. A. LOCATION: 54-22N 179-00E <CORRECTED ON DEBRIEF) 08 SERVERS: GRADE ORGANIZATION DUTY T .C. ADAMS LT R.L. MOORE AE2 VP-1 PILOT VP-1 AIRCREWMAN ESTH1ATE Or RELIABILITY BOTH ARE LEVEL HEADED PEOPLE AND HAVE OBSERVED METEORS, BUT NEITHER HAS HAD SPECIAL EXPERIENCE OR VII. Ao OBSERVER s ACCOUNT OF WEATHER: SOLID UNDERCAST BEtiEATH WITH SCATTERED CUMULUS BUILDUPSo CAVU ABOVE. B. WINDS FROM N.S. ADAK WEATHER DESK <AT TIME & POSIT Or SIGHTING): DEPARTMErtT OF THE AIR FORCE STAFF MESSAGE DIVISION INCOMING MESSAGE Page 2 o f 5 OTHER. ONE OBSERVER ASCRIBED THIS TO" THE WAY THEY MOVED", OTHER TO " THE WAY INDIVIDUAL FRAGMENTS St:EMED TO CHANGE INTENSITY", BRIGHTNESS WAS STRESSED BY BOTH, SAID TO BE BRIGHTER THAN STARS THEN CLEARLY VISIBLE, AND BRIGHTER THAN ANY METERORITES EVER OBSERVED. SPEED OF TRAVEL '~AS SAID B Y BOTH TO BE LESS THAN THAT EVER NOTED IN METEORITES. II. A. WHAT FIRST CALLED OBSERVER'S ATTENTION TO THE OBJECT? FIRST 08SERVER STATED THAN INITIAL SINGLE OBJECT " APPEARED" IN HIS FILED OF IT DID NOT PASS INTO FIELD OF VIE'.II FROM ABOVE. SECOND SA t1ULTIPLE OBJECTS. < IT IS SUGGESTED THAT THE BURST WHICH THE FIRST OBSER- VER DESCRIBES MAY HAVE ATTRACTED ATTENTION OF SECOND OBSERVER. > B. ANGLE OF ELEVATION AND AZIMUTH AT FIRST SIGHTING: FIRST OBS. PLUS 28 DEG. & 136T --SECOND OBS. PLUS 20 DEG. & 136T. C. ANGLE OF ELEVATION AND AZIMUTH AT DISAPPEARPNCE: FIRST OBS. PLUS 5 DEG. & 136T--SECOND OBS. MINUS 5 DEG. 5 136T. D. DESCRIPTION OF FLIGHT PATH AND t1ANEUVERS: STRAIGHT DOWN WITH SMALL <APPROX 5 DEG. > DRIFT FROM RIGHT TO LEFT. FIRST OBSERVER SPID THAT AFTER ABOUT 5 DEGREES OF DESCENT THE SINGLE OBJECT BURST INTO MULTIPLE FRAGMNTS 'AIHICH SPREAD OUT'~"RD PND CONTINUED AT PBOUT THE SAME SPEED. SECOND OBSERVER SAID THE MANY FRAGMENTS WERE IN A A SCATTERED PATTERN '.~!TH SO~E FOLLOWING BEHIND OTHERS. E. MANNER OF DISAPPEARANCE: FIRST OBSERVER STI\TFD THEY MIGHT HPVE PASSED DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE STAFF MESSAGE DIVISION INCOMlNG MESSAGE SURF' ACE: <NOT REL !ABLE> CEILING: NONE E. CLOUD COVER: NONE D. VISIBILITY:UNLIMITED ON TOP F. THUNDERSTORMS IN AREA~ NONE VIII. NO OTHER UNUSUAL ACTIVITY NOTED Page 4 of 5 IX., AIRCRAFT FLEW 30 MILES ON SAME HEADING, THEN DIVERTED ON CURRENTLY EMPLOYED RADAR SEARCH PATTERN. 24 MINUTES LATE A/C FLEW OVER POSITION ESTIMATED BY FinST OBSERVER AS APPROXIMATE LOCATION OF OCCURANCE, NOTHING WAS OBSERVED VISUALLY OR ON RADAR., RADAR WAS ON PT THE TIME OF INITIAL SIGHTIN, BUT NO TARGET WAS HELD. X. AIR TRAFFIC IN AREA: AIRBORNE TARGET TRACED ON RADAR PT THAT TIME AS FOLLOWS: XI. pq~PARING OFFICER: LTJG J KR~USSSR, VP-t 1NTELLIGE ICE 0(7iCSR .. CCMMENT3: T:-R2~ ~L:-2;1'1Af~'JC:C" ,lr 2. PYROTECHNICS, 3. EARTH SATELLITE VEHICLE REENTPY. BIRDS & BALLOONS "4A Y M USC.C. DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE STAFF MESSAGE DIVISION INCOMING MESSAGE Page 5 of 5 ARE ELIMINATED BECAUSE OF NIGHTTIME CONDITIONS AND LIGHT EMITTED 1. BOTH OBSERVERS STATED THAT OBJECTS MOVED CONSIDERABLY SLO\IIER THAN ANY PREVIOUSLY OBSERVED METEORITIES, AND REDDISH CO OR IS NOT COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH METEORITES. 2 . THE A/C PASSING JUST BEHIND THE OBSERVING A/C MAY HAVE ORIGI NATED A PYROTECHNIC SIGNAL, BUT THE RE~SON FOR DOING SO IS NOT APPARENT. FIRST OBSERVER STATED IT WAS NOT LIKE ANY PYROTECHNIC HE HAD OBSERVED, BUT BOTH LIKENED THE BURST ITSELF TO A F'IREIJORKDS DISPLAY. ~I' IN IOU. I[OITIONS Of' TH 1 1"01'1>4 MAY-URD ..