Santa Barbara, CaliforniaMay 1962

Insufficient Data

Summary

On May 19, 1962, several people in the Santa Barbara and Los Angeles area of California reported an object at about 0349Z (about 8:49 p.m. local time). The sighting lasted less than 30 seconds.

Witnesses included an airman on guard duty and a control tower operator at Vandenberg Air Force Base and civilians in Santa Barbara. The object was brilliant white, slightly larger than a pea held at arm's length, with a red-orange flaming tail about one to one and a half times as long as the body. It made no sound. It was seen at about 215 degrees true from the control tower and descended rapidly toward the surface. The control tower reported the light disappeared before reaching the surface, while one civilian reported the object struck the water near Goleta Point. The night was clear with unlimited ceiling.

This report was filed under Project 10073, the Air Force's official record for unidentified flying object reports. The control tower operator believed it was a shooting star. The investigator could not make a positive identification. The Air Force noted the duration and description fit a meteor sighting.

Reported location

Santa Barbara, California

Date of incident

May 1962

State / country

CA / US

Page count

5 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unknown

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 45

Original case file scans

Original case file · scanned by NARAPage 1 of 5

View transcribed text

FF 3
L / Sul PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD
[I
E }. DATE ‘ 2. LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS
3 Zi 2 pa pe A RE HE ORES 0 Was Balloon
3 ay D2 canca parpara, Ladlliliorill [a] Probably Balloon
3. DATE-TIME GROUP 4. TYPE OF OBSERVATION : O. Possibly Balloon
1 1) | RC Ra Sn Spe NA EA Se 0 Ground-VYisual O Ground-Rador a bei A
4 or ERR FAR EL AROS 0 AirVisual 0 Air-Intercept Radar 0 Possibly Aircraft
: 5. PHOTOS 4. SOURCE £3¢ Yas Astronomical
4 Yes 1 Probably Astronomical
| ] 3 0 Ne Civilian 0 Possibly Astronomical
1 7. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION 8. NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9. COURSE Ll RIE a cs,
. 0 Insufficient Dota for Evaluation
; : oi ES A Er 0 Unknown
Less than 30 sec.
3 10. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING Uo = 7/00 deonile, 11. COMMENTS Ifltinie roports fm Los
; Brilliant vhite with red-orange flaming tail |angeles area. Duration and description
4 gbhout 1 = 1 1/2 times as long as body. lio conform to meteor sighting.
; sound, Cbserved at 215°az. Unknown elev.
: Disappezring descending toward ground. 1 report indicated
objt struck water off santa Barbara.
1
1 ATIC FORM 329 (RZV 25 BEP 32)
:
E ;
:

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Source: National Archives Catalog · NAID 28997304