PROJECT BLUE BOOK

PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD
1. DATE 2. LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS
Between Sterling City and Garden 0 Was Balloon
12 Feb 61 City, Texas 00 Probably Balloon
3. DATE-TIME GROUP 4. TYPE OF OBSERVATION Possibly Balloon
Local2145 Ground-Visual Ground-Radar Was Aireraft
000 Probably Aireraft
GM3/03452 AirVisual Air-Intercept Radar Possibly Aircraft
5. 'PHOTOS 6. SOURCE Was Astronomical VENUS
Yes Probably Astronomical
No Civilian 0 Possibly Astronomical
7. LENGTH OF.OBSERVATION 8. NUMBER OF OBJECTS 9. COURSE Other_
Observed 3 times 000 Insufficient Date for Evaluation
Unknown
1 1/2 min ea time 1
10. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING GrEEN and white object I1. coMMENts Objt of this sighting was
size of baseball. No sound heard. Green oval- size of baseball sound heard. Green oval- prooaoly the P. probably the Planet Venus. Planet was enus. Planet was
type light with type light with a white light light underneath, the underneath, the low on horizon a low on horizon ime of sighting, me of sighting,
green light occasionally changing to orange. atmospheric refzaction n probably probably respon-
Appeared, ap Appeared, ap azimuth; disappear disappear sible for apparent increase and decrease
ed same position. ppeared ppeare nd dived to- in elevation. Color changes associated vith in elevation. Color changes associated vith
tard ground of tard ground off bserver, then server, then sighting were due to dispersion. On date
climbed and disappeared to
6o0o -8ooo ft on initial sighting with descent having magnitude less than maximum mag.
to 300-500 ft above ground, then disappearing at about
6000-8000 ft. 6000-8000 ft.
ATIC FORM 329 (REV 26 SEP 52)
1
1
I
*1
y

(
1
RECEIVED (.
16 FEB 61 10 160 13atoge
ZCSQF 483ZCWYB895 ( C7
ATIC 1961 FEB 15 01 31
MM RJEDSQ (
DE RJWFDS 29 , NO (VFO)
( a 5
0I10
M 152240Z ZEX TXASS REL1AL 4E2 (
FM WEBB AFB TEX INDS
TO RJWFAL/ADC ENT AFB COLO EIRLD 34X2A (
RJWFJG/819 ADIV DYESS AFB TEX
RJEDSQ/ATIC WPAFB OHIO-
RJEZHQ/HQ USAF WASHDC
RJEZHQ/SECRETARY OF THE WASHDC 500
(5) N/A (. 5n
(6) NONE 0029 'OtsO
(7) NONE 2 ( '180:
(8)NONE HEARD. J a
0 WELVSE
J +4.
0

PAGE TWO RJWFDS 29
GREEN LIGHT OCCASIONALLY CHANGING TO ORANGE.
B. DESCRIPTION OF COURSE OF OBJECT.
WHICH SUDDENLY BECAME THE GREEN
ABOVE.
(2) APPROXIMATELY 15-22 DEGREES, 270 DEGREES SAZIMUTH. <
OBSERVER, THEN CLIMBED AND DISAPPEARED TO WEST. OBSERVER ESTIMATED - -
60 TO 8ODD FEET ON INITIAL SIGHTING OF OBJECT WITH THE DESCENT
TO 300 TO 520 FEET TO 300 TO 500 FEI ABOVE GROUND, THEN DISAPPEARING AT ABOUT 6E TO GROUND, THEN DISAPPEARING AT ABOUT T 6000 TO ( sse
8000 FEET. 35a0
(5) INTO THE CLOUDS TO THE WEST. (5) INTO THE CLOUDS TO THE WEST.
)SIGHTED THREE (3) TIMES FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE AND ONE HALF (
PERIOD. (
C. MANNER OB OBSERVATION.
(
(1) GROUND - VISUAL.
(2) NONE.
(3) N/A VEREHERE VERE TMN-AND DIPST
IOU C WNAN'SEI BA PA -
AS NL OLSEA COUPLESD U
A000 1000
C W i 30Ts 'v 's 's '0  20 1 f10 I
(
PAGE THREE RJWFDS 29
D. TIME AND DATE OF SIGHTING.
(1) 03452 TO 2400Z, 13 FEB 61.
(2) NIGHT ZuararvaawtaV HOLA

vr CAJ• RIDIING INV A CMR MLUING IME MIGMWAY BEIWEEIN
WEBB AFB APPROXIMATELY TWENTY SEVEN (27) MILES. (
F OBSERVERS
(1)MR.
(2) MRS. NOT
AGE APPROXIMATELY 65, ( ,"s'n
(3) MR. & MRS
STEPHENSVILLE, TEXAS; RELIABILITY GOOD. -
G. WEATHER AND WINDS oft
(1) CLEAR IN AREA WITH SCATTERED CLOUDS TO WEST. C I NOLAVD O) NDACININ QHVONEAE N AS
(a, obamn inimenwa.n oo.
(2) U.S. WEATHER BUREAU, MIDLAND (2) U.S. WEATHER BUREAU, MIDLAND AIR TERMINAL: TERMINAL: (
WINDS SURFACE SOUTH AT 9K
6,000 FEET 260 DEGREES AT 30K 6,000 FEET 260 DEGREES AT 30K ( QuV0NVAT aN AC aTINIA S S0D NN0E
1,000 FEET 270 DEGREES AT 20K 10,000 FEET 270 DEGREES AT 20K ( 5507
16,000 FEET 250 DEGREES AT 30K
260 DEGREES AT 45K (
20,060 FEET
565 C
4
(
A ( in ms t s a oimo i te
PAGE FOUR RJWFDS 29
30,200 FEET 250 DEGREES AT 50K C
(3) CEILING HIGH, THIN, BROKEN ( 07
(4) VISIBILITY FIFTEEN (15) MILES (4) VISIBILITY FIFTEEN (1 ) MILES HAEONMISYTA7IADA
(5) CLOUD COVER HIGH, THIN, BROKEN (5) CLOUD COVER HIGH, THIN, BROKEN (
(6) THUNDERSTORM - NONE. L
(7) SLIGHT TEMPERATURE INVERSION POSSIBLE AT 200 TO 300 FEET
AT TIME OF SIGHTING. ( 3 500 H804
H. EXTREMELY BRIGHT·PLANET (VENUS) WAS VISIBLE AT TIME OF REPORT. (

J. NO KNOWLEDGE THROUGH CONTROL AGENCIES OF TRAFFIC OR BALLOON (
RELEASES; HOWEVER, THERE ARE NUMEROUS UNSCHEDULED, UNCONTROLLED
LIGHT PLANES KNOWN TO OPERATE IN THE AREA UNDER VFR CONDITIONS.
K• THIS REPORT WAS PREPARED BY MAJOR JACK H. CRAWFORD, AO664142,
3560TH PILOT TRAINING GROUP, WEBB AIR FORCE BASE, TEXAS• MR.
, WHO MADE THE INITIAL REPORT, AND MR. & MRS
FATHER-IN-LAW AND MOTHER-IN-LAW OF MR. WERE QUESTIONED
(
35 TO 4 M.P.H. AND M ED THEY ROLLED A WINDOW C
813519787499
DOWN. HOWEVER, MR. & MRS DOWN. HOWEVER, MR. & STATED STAT WINDOW WAS NEVER NDOW AS NEVER (
JNLI
14
( (
(
473
PAGE FIVE RJWFDS 29 V
LOWERED. THE ROAD ON WHICH THEY WERE DRIVING WAS ORIENTED
GENERALLY EAST TO WEST; HOWEVER, THERE WERE TURNS AND DIPS IN S
THE ROAD. MR. DESCRIPTION OF WHAT WAS SEEN WAS FAR
MORE IMAGINATIVE AND COLORFUL THAN THE OLDER COUPLES DESCRIPTION.
STATEMENTS MADE BY MR. AS FACTUAL WERE FOUND TO BE STATEMENTS MADE BY MR. AS FACTUAL WERE FOUND TO BE 1:10
CONTRADICTORY AND IN ONE CASE FALSE. A THOROUGH INVESTIGATION CONTRADICTORY AND IN ONE CASE FALSE. A THOROUGH INVESTIGATION tnt
WAS MADE INCLUDING THE MIDLAND U.S• WEATHER BUREAU, THE MIDLAND WAS MADE INCLUDING THE MIDLAND U.S. WEATHER BUREAU, THE MIDLAND DD4TIISTT CO4TIIE
FLIGHT SERVICE STATION, EL PASO FLIGHT SERVICE CENTER, THE 683RD FLIGHT SERVICE STATION, EL PASO FLIGHT SERVICE CENTER, THE 683RD
AC&W SQUADRON, WEBB AFB, DYESS AFB, HOWARD COUNTY AIRPORT, BIG AC&W SQUADRON, WEBB AFB, DYESS AFB, HOWARD COUNTY AIRPORT, BIG
SPRING TEXAS AND MIDLAND AIR TERMINAL. FLIGHT PLANS, UNUSUAL
RADAR PLOTS AND ANY UNUSUAL AIR ACTIVITY WAS CHECKED WITH THE TIHINA
ABOVE AGENCIES. THE ONLY ITEM THAT MIGHT APPEAR A POSSIBLE V
SOLUTION WOULD BE THE NUMEROUS CIVILIAN TYPE AIRCRAFT WHICH FLY

TNAVUGNUUT RCH FAAS UIV Vr UIVU LLED, UINF ILED
FLIGHT PLANS.
THE MOST PROBABLE SOLUTION TO THIS SIGHTING WOULD BE THE PLANET
THE AUTOMOBILE COULD ACCOUNT FOR THE APPARENT MOVEMENT OF THE
LIGHT AND THE THIN CLOUD LAYER COULD ACCOUNT FOR THE APPEARANCE
AND DISAPPEARANCE OF THE E LIGHT. 'V
C
BT
15/22432 15/2243Z FEB RJWFDS C
T  CIKO I NOLAV C NRLSIDIH CNYONV
C
C C CINO I NO1AV C N31S1IH CNVNVIS 32 9 231M4 -300 6SOL
C
C
NNNN C
T7
' . .
YIT EIR 1AROLIA 3SYT.MARV1S 2UOZKON S