Project 10073 Record — Minneapolis, Minnesota, August 1952

This document is an Air Intelligence Information Report regarding a sighting of an unidentified aerial phenomenon (FLYOBPT) in Northeast Minneapolis, Minnesota, occurring on August 25 and 26, 1952. The primary witness, a civilian who holds a private pilot's license, reported observing a very bright blue light hovering at an estimated altitude of 45,000 feet. During the first observation, which lasted approximately one and a half hours, the witness was accompanied by another individual and several others who also observed the object. The witness described the object as being the size of a pinhead and noted that it moved in a rectangular pattern, returning to its starting point. On the following night, the witness observed the object again for approximately 20 minutes and attempted to photograph it. The witness borrowed a camera and took two pictures, one with a 10-second exposure and another with a 30-second exposure. A third attempt involved leaving the shutter open for an extended period to capture the object's track. The film was processed by the 72nd Air Base Squadron, but the resulting film was completely blank. The report notes that the photo personnel believed that if the film had been exposed for 10 or 30 seconds, it should have captured something, yet there was no indication of any image on the developed film. The official conclusion recorded on the Project 10073 record is 'Possible: BALLOON'. The report includes a formal transmittal from the 31st Air Division at Fort Snelling to the Air Technical Intelligence Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, dated September 4, 1952.