Pacific Hawaiian Islands & area, March 1963March 1963

Insufficient Data

Summary

On the night of March 11, 1963, hundreds of people across the Hawaiian Islands reported a glowing object moving from east to west at high altitude and high speed. It was described as glowing like a giant comet or spotlight and left a vapor trail. The sighting lasted about 5 to 6 minutes.

Two Air National Guard pilots saw the object north of the island of Kauai while flying a training mission at 40,000 feet. One pilot thought it was a rocket or space object on a set course. The other said it left a visible vapor trail, lighter than a jet's. The object was also seen from an F-102 and by weather observers, and many residents flooded newspapers and radio stations with calls.

The Air Force, in its Project 10073 record, confirmed by telephone with a range officer that a missile had been launched from Vandenberg. The case was evaluated as a missile, an Atlas.

Reported location

Pacific Hawaiian Islands & area, March 1963

Date of incident

March 1963

State / country

? / XX

Page count

3 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unknown

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 47

Original case file scans

Original case file · scanned by NARAPage 1 of 3

View transcribed text

3 :
: / PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD
7 DATE 2. LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS
3 : pacific DO Was Balloon \
B | 11 March 1983 Hawaii ds & area 8 Foi) prt hodd \
3 3. DATE-TIME GROUP a2. TYPE OF OBSERVATION y
E a onal Se E OMe A Rivera
FE GMT 3 BxAir Visual O Air-intercept Radar DO Possibly Aircraft
E 5. PHOTOS 8. SOURCE Oo Was Astronomical \
QO Yes oO Rrekably Astronomical |
4 RR pe Siete 0 i : i |
3 Bo civilian & Militar Possibly Astronomical
E 7. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION 3 NUMBER OF OBJECTS 9. COURSE xxOther Atlas Missila— \
= 0 Insufficient Doto for Evaluation i
= : O Unknown |
g 5-6 minutes : one SW
a Cann... !
A 10. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING 11. COMMENTS
= . . . . . .
FE Object glowing like a giant comet OT Missile launched from vandenberg
| spotlight 1m flight from Eust to West confirmed by contact with Range |
- observed by ANG pilots and thousands officer in telephone conversa-
b in Hawallan Islands, AlSO observed tion.
4 from F-102 at 40,000ft, Object in :
a sight for 5-6 minules. Left vapor
E trail. Observed hy WX observers. Trail
tighter than that trom jet. \
- Lea
Ee ATIC FORM 329 (REV 26 SEP 52) :
i
"
E
4
Nr !

\

Ll

/ 3

Use ← → keys to navigate · scans hosted by the U.S. National Archives

Source: National Archives Catalog · NAID 29000382