PROJECT BLUE BOOK

UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECT CASE FILES · 1947 – 1969

CASE REFERENCE8628192

DATE OF SIGHTINGJanuary 1961

REPORTED LOCATIONSouthern Calif

FRAMES5

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Transcribed Frames

FRAME 001 / 005tesseract-200dpi

PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD

l. DATE 2. LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS
. ; | 0 Wes 8
16 Jan 61 Southern Calif. Oo Probebly Balloon
3. DATE-TIME GROUP 4. TYPE OF OBSERVATION G. Possilly Batten
O Was Aircraft
i AX Ground- Vi sual © Ground-Rodor QO Probably Aircraft
omt__1.6/24002Z 0 Air Vi sual O Air-Intercept Rodar | Possibly Aircroft
5. PHOTOS SOURCE XX Wes Astronomical Meteor.
0 Yes QO Probably Astronomical
XO Ne Civilian O Possibly Astronomical
7. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION 8. NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9 COURSE i
0D Insufficient Date for Evaluation
O Unknown
2 sec 1 W
| |10, BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING'm Port Huneme, Point Miguii. COMMENTS Meteor sighting.

Santa Barbaf"egg shaped size of football,
blue irredesent: color. Objt with long firey
red tail breaking up. Tail had white center.
Descending fm 60° elev in E to horizon in W.
Duration 2 sec.

ATIC FORM 329 (REV 26 SEP 52)

FRAME 002 / 005tesseract-200dpi

=
' . ;
’

Ce ee, | A Fee
NAVAL MESSAGE > OUNGLASSIFIEG = NAVY DEPARTMENT

PREGEOSNCE (ACTION) | RELEASED BY e

PRIORITY DRAFTED BY EXT. NO.

PRiOR1L ;
PRECEDENCE «UNFO)

-.

-

P 178695Z 3 _ AF IN : 48122 (17 Jan 61) D/ape per |
“pM SOP SANTA BARBARA-VENTURA AREA ge prem. : |
TO COM ELEVEN DIO | Tim ag Ww |
INFO CNO SSeS Me Be ie eae eee

4. COM ELEVEN INST 3829.14
3. SOP PORT HUENEME-POINT MUGU-SANTA BARBARA AREA INST 3823.1

le Ae PROBABTLY EGG SHAPE ; gout

B. FOOTBALL SIZE
C. BLUE IRRIDESCENT COLOR

De ONE
Ee. N/A |
F. NONE reer | Sent, hae |

G. PARTS BRAKING OFF-LONG RED FIERY TAIL WITH WHITE CENTER
He NONE ie ieee : |
i. UNXNOWN ict .
2 Ae SAW THRU WINDOW |

_.-NNY PROM CAMARILLO, CALIF.- ANGLE ELEV 69 DEG /

32 COG
SECNAV UNSECNAV ASTSECNAVRESDEV 323 39 3983 39M 93 33.54 95 35 9S O97 37D
>3 74 76 94 IP NAVAIDE FLAGPLOT BFR CMC JCS CSA esSaz/Cia NIC COGARD |

CONTROL = A um htt CIRCUIT NO. PAGE OF PAGES | TIME OF RECEIPT DATE TIME SROUP
IS1/RE/ IC/2 “169 \ 3 3739/17 Jan | 1735352 JAN S$!

UNCLASSIFIED

—_

FRAME 003 / 005tesseract-200dpi

NAVAL BIESSAGE INCLASSIFE

: |
PRECEDENCE (INFO) . Sinema yes | |
Ce. BEHIND BLDGS, ANGLE OF ELEV 22 DEG, WNW OF CAMARILLO, CALIF.
D. DESCENDING FROM EAST TO WEST AT ABOUT 62 DEG -ANGLE

a
E. BEHIND VISIBLE HORIZON

Pe 2 Sh.
3. Ae GROUND VISUAL

B. NONE —
C. N/A | | |
_4, A. 1624382 |
Bs LATE DUSK |
5, APPROX POSIT-LATITUDE 34-12N LONGITUDE 119-22W
6. A. NONE-INQUIIRIES REFERRED TO USAF | |
B. SUDDRETH, Je M. ,»LCDR, USN., PILOT, VERY RELIABLE
Te Ae SKY CLEAR, SMOKE LAYERS NW OVER NOUNTAINS UP TO 6299 FT. 1893U

PT MUGU. OBSERVATION . |
3, 1690U POINT ARGUELLO OBSERVATION SURFACE 2732/4 6899 FT-119/7 12202
°T-983/17 16099 FT 108/14 289900 FT-998/9 30999 FT-990/12 59000 FT-529/57

63920 FT-300/11 — ey
C, UNLIMITED |

D. UNRISTRICTED

-_—— + ae >

———

E. NONE
F. NONE
al 8 ° N ON Er
CONTROL NO. seca CIRCUIT NO.. {PAGE OF PAGES | TIME CF RECEIPT | DATE TIME GROUP
151 ase Hay eat oy ue. . * o1179635Z° JAN 61.

UNCLASSIFIEQ = oe

FRAME 004 / 005tesseract-200dpi

\
‘

NAVAL WESsAgE | UNCLASSIFIED . avy BEPARTINE is

9. NONE br | ee

she 3 JET ACFT, 2 SNB ACFT LOCAL AREA VFR FROM NAS PT MUGU
Me 0.0.0. NaS PT MUGU-PROBABLY A METEOR. OBSERVER STATED it

DEFINITELY WAS oT. AN ACFT. FLARE bg Fane ee ee ng Reka
126 “NONE Be ede Pati ates oe, FERRO £ Siti, Semen ey so 2) es

| NOTE: Advance copy delivered to CIN (170445L)

| i
ae
/
CONTROL NO. CIRCUIT NO. |PAGE OF PAGES | TIME OF RECEIPT (DATE TIME GROUP —~S

173885Z JAN sl

{31 5

UNCLASSIFIED

FRAME 005 / 005tesseract-200dpi

: Tei BS 3 org? ter: oe
: * Bo died ow Rit? toe oo. ‘ was — .

DY PIREBALL OAUSES NEAR-PANIC IN CALIFORNIA: In a widely-publicized
incident last January 16th, a brilliant fireball was seen by thousands of peo-
ple from San Diego to Sah Francisco, and as far as 300 miles inland in Nevada.
The object was in view about 18 seconds, and was described inmany differ-
ent ways by the people who saw it. Inquiries from frightened citizens swamped
police and newspaper awitchboards throughout the area. ‘Ths sighting brought
about a series of panicky reports that fires were raging in large portions of
the state, caused by falling embers. Other reports, all later proven false,
included findings of metal debris in varicus places. A rising tide of panic

seemed to overtake many generally reliable officials who were soon repeating

fantastic rumors. One version of the story was that the strange fireball had

Crashed into a densely populated section of Hollywood Hills. The truth seems

to te that it either burned out in mid-air, or else fell harmlessly into the

Pacific Ocean. .No.one is sure as to exactly what the object was, though it is
ascuned to > have been natureloin ¢ ori aa.\ | hh

Sy ¥ >. . a an aD > apie. sti Rahs i
On January 16, 196] another so-crlled giant meteor frightened
thousands in Californian, The giant ball of fire trailed long multicolored tail

and left an eorie bluish light after glow in the same area, It alarmed thousands

of residents, already edgy because of recont unexplained phenomena, It was
/
seen for 600 miles in Celifornia and at Las Vegas, Nevada, which is 300 miles

inland, Many reported that the object, didn't look like a meteor and that it

appeared to be climbing in the sky, instead of burning itself out,