Between Wake Island & Hickman AFB, October 1959October 1959

Insufficient Data

Summary

On the night of October 28, 1959, a military pilot saw a light from a C-118 aircraft over the Pacific, midway between Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, and Wake Island. The aircraft was at about 12,000 feet.

The object was a light-blue light, about as bright as a second-magnitude star and the size of a pinhead at arm's length. It was descending rapidly, but not as fast as a meteor. It dropped from nearly overhead down to the south-southwest and disappeared below the horizon. The sighting lasted about 12 to 15 seconds. The sky was clear and dark with no moon.

The intelligence officer noted the object was probably a slow-moving meteor and that the pilot's high altitude over the ocean would explain seeing it longer than usual. The reporting officer suggested it could have been a satellite or missile reentry but also could have been a meteor. The card lists the case as astronomical, a meteor. This was part of Project 10073, the Air Force's official record for unidentified flying object reports.

Reported location

Between Wake Island & Hickman AFB, October 1959

Date of incident

October 1959

State / country

? / XX

Page count

4 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unknown

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 37

Original case file scans

Original case file · scanned by NARAPage 1 of 4

View transcribed text

: 2 PRGJECT 10073 RECORD CARD
1. DATE 2. LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS ie
Between Wake Island 0 Was Ballons
28 Oct 59 & Hiclman AFB 0 Probably Balloon
3. DATE-TIME GROUP 4. TYPE OF OBSERVATION Qi Feasinly Balloon
2 J RE RAN 0 Ground- Visual 0 Ground-Rader a edd SE
CMT 28/1238z B Air Visuol O Air-Intercept Radar | 3 Possibly Aircraft
EN eee De CULE sn O ANPUNTRIERPT NeRar
5. PHOTOS 8. SOURCE 0 Was Astronomical Meteor
GO Yes a Lrobobty Astronomical
g : ibly A i
@ No Milita a ossibly dill
7. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION 3. NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9. COURSE 3 Opps uy bio
C Insufficient Dota for Evaluation
0 Unknown
10=15 sacs one descending
10. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING 11. COMMENTS J
; Lignt blue light, same as 2nd magnitude Obj was provably a slow moving meteor
star, size of head of pin, descending Witness was at 12,000 ft alt over
rapidly, but not as fast as meteor. Dis- the oc#an, which would account for hi:
appeared below horizon to South. seeing it longer than usual.
ATIC FORM 329 (REV 26 SEP 52)
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Source: National Archives Catalog · NAID 28985207