Project 10073 Record Card — Wichita, Kansas, 8 February 1954

On February 8, 1954, at approximately 1620Z, a civilian witness in Wichita, Kansas, reported observing an unidentified aerial object. The witness, identified as the wife of a Master Sergeant stationed at the local base, observed the object for four and a half minutes. She described the object as being at an estimated altitude of 10,000 feet, drifting slowly in a south-southeasterly direction. The object was characterized as very dark in color with slightly curved edges, appearing very large when viewed through seven-power Japanese binoculars. The witness noted that the object left no trail, made no noise, and displayed no visible means of propulsion. The sighting began at a 40-degree elevation and concluded when the object disappeared beyond a garage top at a 20-degree elevation. Military authorities at Wichita AFB conducted an investigation, which included checking with the Air Control and Warning site in Hutchinson, Kansas, for radar confirmation; however, the radar report was negative. Meteorological data for the area was also reviewed, noting wind speeds and temperatures at various altitudes. The witness's reliability was assessed as F-six, and the official conclusion reached by the Air Technical Intelligence Center was that the object was 'Probably Balloon'.