Project 10073 Record Card and Correspondence — LaCrosse, Wisconsin, 14 April 1952

This document collection pertains to a UFO sighting reported on 14 April 1952 in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. The primary record is a Project 10073 record card, which documents a report from an airline captain regarding several light-colored objects observed at an estimated altitude of 15,000 to 20,000 feet. The objects were described as performing straight and level maneuvers and traveling at 'tremendous speed' in a V-formation. The report includes a staff message from the Department of the Air Force confirming the sighting and noting that the objects disappeared in a swaying motion. Subsequent correspondence dated 4 June 1968 from the Department of Astronomy at Northwestern University to Lt. Col. Hector Quintanilla, Jr. provides a critical assessment of the Air Force's handling of this case. The author of the letter expresses frustration that despite the credibility of the witness—a commercial airline captain—no follow-up investigation was ever conducted. The letter highlights that the Air Force failed to identify other potential witnesses, such as passengers or crew, and did not determine the duration of the sighting. The author argues that the case should not be classified simply as 'insufficient information,' but rather as 'insufficient information because of lack of follow-up.' The document also includes an extract from a status report summarizing the incident details. The collection serves as a record of both the initial sighting report and the later internal critique regarding the investigative standards of Project Blue Book.