Taft, California area, January 1959January 1959

Insufficient Data

Summary

On January 5, 1959, two airline pilots reported an object near Taft, California. The object was tracked from two aircraft on different headings. The sighting lasted about 4 to 5 seconds.

The object was oval and silver, about the size of a basketball at 50 to 100 yards. It looked like a ball of fire with a silver tail and a longer trail coming from underneath. It was at 30 to 40 degrees above the horizon. It tracked from southwest to northeast, then made a sharp turn to the right and faded like a meteor. It kept a constant flight level.

The sky was clear at the object's location. The Air Force concluded the object was astronomical. The record states the description and time duration were characteristic of a meteor.

Reported location

Taft, California area, January 1959

Date of incident

January 1959

State / country

? / XX

Page count

4 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unknown

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 35

Original case file scans

Original case file · scanned by NARAPage 1 of 4

View transcribed text

: - PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD i :
1. DATE 2. LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS
; A 0 Was Balloon
I Jan 59 Taft, California areca O Probably Balloon
: 3. DATE-TIME GROUP 4. TYPE OF GBSERVATION O Possibly Bolloon
O Was Aircraft |
TET GAR LR NN O Ground- Visual 0 Ground-Radar O Probably Aireraft
GMT XX Ain Visual O Air-Intercept Rador O Possibly Aircraft
S. PHOTOS . 0% Was Astronomical idcteor
O Yes O Probably Astronomical
1.Ne . 0 Possibly Astronomical
xX 1.1]
7. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION 8. NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9. COURSE CIE PT ———
DO Insufficient Date for Evaluation
a O Unknown
4-5 seconds one SW to INE
10. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING 11. COMMENTS
Oval obj, size of basketball at 50 to 100 Description and time duration
‘1 yards. Silver in color. Looked like a ball of is characteristic of a meteor.
firs with silver tail and a longer trail
coming from underneath. Obj had constant
flight level,
| ATIC FORM 329 (REV 26 SEP 32)
.
&

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Source: National Archives Catalog · NAID 28981647