Unidentified Flying Objects Reporting — West Point, Nebraska, August 4, 1953

This document details a sighting of an unidentified aerial object reported by Major Andrew J. Andresen, a former WWII rated pilot, on August 4, 1953, in West Point, Nebraska. At approximately 2340 hours, the observer, while working in his yard, noticed a light that appeared slightly brighter than the brightest visible stars. The object traveled from the north-northwest to the south-southeast. The observer noted that the object remained visible for approximately 60 seconds, during which time it passed behind a neighbor's house. The light decreased in intensity as it moved further away, except for a 30-second interval when it appeared to grow quite bright. No sound was heard during the observation, and the observer remarked that given the speed of the object, it should have produced noise if it were close. The weather conditions were described as a clear sky with bright stars. The report was formally submitted by Captain William A. O'Hearn of the 9155th Volunteer Air Reserve Training Group in Omaha, Nebraska, on August 11, 1953, in accordance with Air Force Letter 200-5. The official conclusion reached by the evaluating agency, ATIC, was that the object was an astronomical phenomenon, specifically a meteor. The document includes a hand-drawn diagram by the observer illustrating the flight path, the line of sight relative to local landmarks, and the duration of the observation.