Project 10073 Record Card and Air Intelligence Information Report — Paris, Illinois, 9 October 1951

This document compiles reports and intelligence assessments regarding an unidentified aerial object sighted on 9 October 1951. The primary incident involved a private pilot flying from Greencastle, Indiana, to Paris, Illinois, who observed a stationary, round, silvery object at an altitude of 5,000 feet. The pilot reported that the object, which appeared to be the size of a half-dollar coin held at arm's length, began moving in a northeasterly direction south of the Atomic Energy Plant at Newport, Indiana. A second, related sighting occurred at 1342 hours on the same day at Hulman Municipal Airport in Terre Haute, Indiana, reported by a Chief Aircraft Communicator for the Civil Aeronautics Authority. This witness described a similar object observed directly overhead, which also appeared to be the size of a half-dollar coin at arm's length and traveled in a southeasterly direction. The weather conditions were reported as clear and bright with no clouds or haze. Investigative efforts by the 12th District Office of Special Investigations included interviews with both witnesses and a review of electronic surveillance data from a TPS-13 radar unit located in Rockville, Indiana, which yielded no corresponding radar contacts. The reports note that the object exhibited no vapor trails, made no noise, and had no visible protrusions. While one assessment suggests the object was very likely a balloon, investigators concluded that without more precise data on motion and duration, no firm analysis could be made, and the case was ultimately classified as having insufficient data. The document also includes supplementary reports of other sightings by a scientist involved in cosmic ray research, though these appear to be separate incidents. The file contains multiple versions of the same status report, indicating the administrative handling of the incident by the Air Technical Intelligence Center and the Office of Special Investigations.