PROJECT BLUE BOOK

PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD a
1. DATE 2. LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS
0 Was Balloon
27 Feb 61 Yuma, Arizona 0 Probably Balloon
DATE-TIME GROUP 4. TYPE OF OBSERVATION D Possibly Balloon
Local 1041 Ground-Visual Ground-Rodar Was Aircraft
000 Probably Aircraft
GMT 271741Z AirVisual Air-Intercept Radar Possibly Aircraft
5. 'PHOTOS 6. SOURCE 0 Was Astronomical
Ys 00 Probably Astronomical
No Military Possibly Astronomical
7. LENGTH OF.OBSERVATION 8. NUMBER OF OBJECTS 9. COURSE Other_Poss Chaff
000 Insufficient Data for Evaluation
1 hr 48 min Unknown
10. BRIEF sUMMARY oF sIGHTING Similar to chaff BRIEF sUMMARY of sigHTInG Similar to chaff drop. 11. coMMEnts Sighting I1. coMMENTs Sighting was made only on was made only on
Gradually Gradually lost altitude, very slow moving. lost altitude, very slow moving. radar. FTD radar specialists indicate specialists indicate
Gradually Gradually faded. Rate faded. Rate of descent--aprox 300' of descent--aprox 300' that most that most plausible explanation is that
per minute. per minute. a chaff drop was being conducted.
)
ATIC FORM 329 (REV 26 SEP 52)
,
.
. ..
.

the only possibilit The large size
of the blip is not of the blip is consistent with that type however
Anomolous propagation or equipment malfumction a ther pilities.
Check should be made of cognizant agencies to Check should be made of cognizant determi oody ody
or meteorites were in area.
3. 3 Evaluation of Evalustion of 1 report from 864th ACw Sq., Yuma, Aris., dated 28 Feb 51,
indicates chaff drop i indicates chaff drop is most plausible explanation. Check of Air Force most plausible explanation. Check of Air Force
activities for possible chaff exercise could be mada.
ROY L. JAMES 3 Atch
Acting Chief n/c
AFCIN-4E1
1
.

N RECEIVED
28 FEB 61 20 392
PP RJEDSQ
ZNR ZOV RJWZSU
CZCSUB838ZCJBA502 '0ind
CZCJBA500BJA025 344×2A .
PP RJEZHQ RJEDSQ RJWAFL
DE RJWZJBJ 5
ZNR J GHYONYIE
P 281802Z ( 3#1
FM S64TH ACWSQ USMC AUX AIR STATION YUMA ARIZONA 509 4N01
TO RJEZHQ/HQ USAF WASHINGTON 25 DC
COURSE OF CBJECT: Q # OTHO
to C 190 !36 13Q
DEGREES, 3 QEP QEP DEGREES, 110 MILES, DEGREES, 110 MILES, : HLAVS : HLAVS
(
03
- AND FORTY ANNER OF VIIATSIE
OBSERVATION: Q4 MPS-14 ) N NEGATIVE E KEL NEGATIVE D. TIME AND TIME AND KIIRIOIE CHVCEVERLTY
DATE OF WUXQURQZ KUL DAY E. LOCATION OF OBSERVERS:
27/17417
C 403 0

YPTXCOTV 16,000-315/35; 0-315/E40
QPNPPPA EETXWTV QYNPPPA TV WPNPPPAEQTXRPV 0
LPNPPPA 45
IXRTV
T NONE K NONE U J C HRISIBAW OEVONVIS 2H1
OEVONVIS 2H1
OF PREPARING OFFICER: POSITION TITLE: SENIOR DIRECTOR. WHEN THE OF PREPARING OFFICER: POSITION TITLE: SENIOR DIRECTOR. WHEN THE C
OBJECT WAS FIRST PICKED UP ON THE MPS-14, THE PRESENTATION APPEARED OBJECT WAS FIRST PICKED UP ON THE MPS-14, THE PRESENTATION APPEARED -
GO0 WHOs SO0 WHOS
THE SAME AS THAT OF A SINGLE AIRCRAFT. DUE TO THE SLOW SPEED, IT WAS THE SAME AS THAT O RCRAE DUE TO THE SL EED, IT WAS
THOUGHT TO BE A BALLOON, HOWEVER, THE PRESENTATION THOUGHT TA THE PP SENTATION BEGAN TO BREAK UIP BEGAN TO BREAK UP (
AND BECAME DIFFUSED AT APPROXIMATELY 42,003 FEET. ALTHOUGH THE 652220
(
OBJECT WAS MOVING AT ONLY 23 KNOTS, IT LEFT A TRAIL OF DIFFUSE ECHOES
EXTENDING BEHIND AND SLANTING DOWNWARD, SIMILIAR TO A STREAM OF CHAFF. J
THE RATE OF DESCEND WAS APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET PER MINUTE. THE ENTIRE
ECHO BECAME DIFFUSE AND DESCENDED AT THE ABOVE RATE UNTIL CONTACT
WAS LOST. THIS OFFICER DURING EIGHT YEARS EXPERIENCE IN AC&W DUTY ( 0134 101
HAS NOT ENCOUNTERED A SIMILIAR PRESENTATION WITH THE EXCEPTION OF NOOTVEAS
CHAFF DROPPEI OM BALLOONS IN ALASKA. L L. NEGATIVE /
ET C (
28/17572 28/17572 FEB FEB RJWZJBJ RJWZJBJ
'v  n '00 ' 404 n? 13
" 009 9004 ? 3
(
( 291500 170.
..
.