Southern Calif., January 1961January 1961

Insufficient Data

Summary

On January 16, 1961, at about 1620 (4:20 p.m.) local, a Navy pilot near the Port Hueneme, Point Mugu, and Santa Barbara area of California reported one egg-shaped object the size of a football. It was a blue iridescent color with a long, fiery red tail that had a white center. The object appeared to be breaking up.

The object descended from about 60 degrees elevation in the east down to the horizon in the west, at about a 60 degree angle. The sighting lasted about 2 seconds. The pilot was listed as very reliable and said it was definitely not an aircraft flare.

The Air Force conclusion was astronomical, a meteor. Attached notes describe a widely seen brilliant fireball that frightened thousands of people across California and into Nevada that same day, with the object assumed to be natural in origin.

Reported location

Southern Calif., January 1961

Date of incident

January 1961

State / country

? / XX

Page count

5 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unknown

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 41

Original case file scans

Original case file · scanned by NARAPage 1 of 5

View transcribed text

i wy Le SE Lh iain picid BL rR a SEITE SNe,
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: ,
V : : PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD : 3
| 1. pate 2. LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS
5 | Dw s
| 16 Jan 61 Southern Calif. 0 Probebly Bellosn :
§ | 3 DATE-TIME GROUP 4. TYPE OF OBSERVATION Em, en
LOI caiman AX Ground- Vi sual 0 Ground-Rodor a Probably Airer oft |
oMT__16/2 24007 ___ 0 Air Visual O Air-Intercept Radar |Z Possibly Aircraft
S.. PHOTOS » SOURCE AX Was Astronomical He leo ;
0 Yes 0 Probably Astronomical
| X85 No Civilian O Possibly Astronomical
7. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION 8. NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9. COURSE BE SI inliiiisioninsmsinmmns
O Insufficient Data for Evaluation ]
O Unknown
| & 2 sec ¢ d W :
| 10. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING F'n Port Huneme, Point Mig 1l. COMMENTS Meteor sighting. |
I 3 Santa Barbaf” egg shaped size of football, |
I 3 blue irredesent color. Objt with long firey
1 red tail breaking up. Tail had white center.
3 Descending fm 60° elev in E to horizon in W. |
y Duration 2 sec,
| ATIC FORM 329 (REV 26 SEP 52) i
3 /
j : , .
/ :

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Source: National Archives Catalog · NAID 28991092