Fairfield, CaliforniaAugust 1960

Unidentified

Summary

On August 18, 1960, a ground observer in Fairfield, California, reported seeing an unusual object in the sky at 04:10 GMT (8:10 p.m. local time). The sighting lasted about eight seconds.

The observer described the object as football-shaped with blunt ends and roughly the size of a pea at arm's length. It had a pale reddish-pink color. The object traveled in a straight path at very high speed before fading from view rapidly due to ground light.

According to the case file, the Air Force investigation concluded that the object was probably a meteor. The file notes that the straight flight path and high speed are consistent with a meteor, and the rapid fading of visibility matches what would be expected as a meteor burns up in the atmosphere or passes below the observer's line of sight.

The full case file, comprising nine pages, is reproduced below as held by the National Archives.

Reported location

Fairfield, California

Date of incident

August 1960

State / country

CA / US

Page count

9 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unidentified

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 39

Original case file scans

Original case file · scanned by NARAPage 1 of 9

View transcribed text

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4 PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD

4 1. DATE 2. LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS

- 0 Woes Belloen

. 18 Aug 60 Fairfield, California 0 Probably Balloon

i 3. DATE-TIME GROUP 4 TYPE OF OBSERVATION il tiian erin

3 0 Woes Aiicroft

3 pia + o—— BR Ground- Vi sual oO Ground-Roder a Probably Aireraft

3 GMT 19/04102Z 0 Air Visvel O Air-Intercep? Rodor QO Fessitly Airersht

4 5. PHOTOS » SOURCE O Was Astronomical

i O Yes Cf Probably Astronemical Meteor
k © Ne Civilian and Military O Possibly Astronemicel

! 7. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION 6. NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9. COURSE THE RRL NI
4 O Insufficient Date for Eveluation
3 8 sec one 33W w Soe.

3 10. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING 11. COMMENTS

i Football shapad obj22% with blunta2d =2nds, size | Object was probably a meteor.

3 of a pea, rale reddisz-rink paste’: color.
E Flight path was straight with a vary high

1 speed, Object faded Irom view rapidly due to

3 ground light.

ATIC FORM 329 (REV 26 SEP S52)

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Source: National Archives Catalog · NAID 28988255