2100N 163E & 2150N 16040E (FAR EAST), December 1961December 1961

On December 20, 1961, a C-97 transport plane flying from Van Nuys, California, and a C-124 cargo plane flying from Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii both observed a bright, burning object over the western Pacific Ocean. The sightings occurred in two separate locations about 400 miles apart and were reported by Air Force pilots within hours of each other.

The first sighting came from the C-97 crew, who saw a luminous conical object with a shallow trajectory. The object was visible for 5 to 8 seconds before burning out completely. The crew estimated it was traveling west, though they could not determine its exact size because of the distance involved. An Air Force analysis suggested the object's reentry angle and altitude (around 100,000 feet) were consistent with a meteor or fireball.

The second sighting, from the C-124 crew, offered more detail about the object's movement. The pilot and co-pilot saw a bright flash of light to the right of the cockpit. The object appeared about 15 degrees above the horizon and seemed to glow blue-white, much like a burning meteor. Over the course of 6 to 8 seconds, it moved across their field of view and slowly disintegrated, eventually dropping below the horizon. As it moved, the crew watched five ships in the vicinity below and reported radar contact with them, though it is unclear whether any ship crews saw the object.

The Air Force file noted that the object had all the characteristics of a fireball meteor. However, analysts also observed that the color and duration did not match typical meteorite reentries, and the object's path seemed unusual for a natural reentry event. The case was evaluated as "Probably Balloon" on the initial report form, though the detailed analysis suggested meteor-like qualities. The full case file, comprising 7 pages, is reproduced below as held by the National Archives.