3132N 12538W (Off Calif in Pacific), March 1961March 1961

On March 29, 1961, three U.S. Air Force crews flying east of California over the Pacific Ocean reported seeing a bright, glowing object that descended rapidly and dimmed as it fell. Crew members from separate radar surveillance aircraft (RC-121s) observed the event independently between approximately 1:04 and 1:08 GMT at a location about 200 miles west of the California coast.

The first crew described a round object about the size of a half-dollar with a whitish-green color and a slight afterglow. It appeared to break apart into multiple pieces as it descended. The second crew saw a similar round object, dime-sized and white to pinkish in color, that resembled a flare and seemed nearly stationary relative to their aircraft. The third crew noted a round, pea-sized object that changed color from green to red. All three sightings lasted between 6 and 18 seconds. The object's heading was recorded as 170 degrees. The crews observed the object moving at a relatively slow rate, which suggested it was traveling on nearly the same heading as their aircraft rather than moving at exceptionally high speed.

The crews were experienced pilots and radar operators from the 963rd Airborne Early Warning and Control Squadron, all considered reliable by their command. Weather conditions at the time were clear with excellent visibility and no inversions reported. Air Force Intelligence examined the evidence and concluded the object was likely a satellite reentry. The analysis noted that the slow movement, color changes, and apparent deterioration in pieces were consistent with the reentry of 1961 Epsilon 2, which was predicted to reenter between March 30 and April 2, 1961. The heading and color progression observed, along with the object's slowness, suggested a probable reentry rather than a fireball.

The case file contains 26 pages of declassified records held by the National Archives.