Kingman, ArizonaJanuary 1960

On January 3, 1960, a military pilot flying near Kingman, Arizona saw objects in the night sky that at first looked like unidentified flying objects. First Lieutenant Virgil L. Harpham was piloting an aircraft at 32,022 feet, flying a course of 288 degrees magnetic, when he spotted them. He saw two blue-flaming objects with white tails descending at a 42-degree angle near Kingman. He also observed one similar object descending toward Lake Mead, Nevada. The sighting lasted about 10 to 12 seconds. The objects appeared to be moving southwest.

The sighting drew attention from multiple witnesses. A civilian aircraft pilot near Las Vegas also reported the same objects to the flight service as unidentified flying objects. But Harpham, the military pilot, quickly concluded what he was seeing. He reported the objects to Hamilton Air Force Base as meteorites, not UFOs. Several other pilots in the area confirmed they saw a similar blue light moving across the sky. A tower controller at McCarran Field in Las Vegas named Jack McMillen reported seeing the light around 11:08 p.m. moving at a steep angle, and said he initially thought it might be a meteor but changed his mind because it left a trail and had a horizontal path.

The Air Force investigated the report and concluded the sightings were probably the Quadrantid meteor shower, which occurs in early January and is known for producing meteors with long paths and medium speeds. The file notes that Harpham's estimated reliability as a witness was rated as "Alfa-Two," a relatively high rating. No further analysis appears in the case file beyond the meteorite identification.

The full case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives across 7 pages.