Project 10073 Record: Sighting in Butler, Missouri, 26 September 1954

On September 26, 1954, at approximately 1007Z, a civilian observer in Butler, Missouri, reported a sighting of 20 to 30 unidentified objects. The objects appeared as a cluster of stars, silver to white in color, flying in a V-shaped formation. The observer noted that the objects made three complete circles and exhibited no sound, tail, trail, or exhaust. The observation lasted for a total of three minutes, divided into three separate sightings of 40, 40, and 30 seconds respectively. The objects were observed heading North and then East before disappearing into clouds. The weather conditions at the time were reported as thin broken clouds at 22,000 feet with 8 miles of visibility and calm surface winds. The report was processed through the Flight Service Center at Lowry AFB and forwarded to the Air Technical Intelligence Center at Wright-Patterson AFB. The official conclusion reached by the investigating authorities was that the sighting resembled the observation of birds, and it was categorized as a possible bird observation. The report notes that while the observer appeared sincere and may have observed something out of the ordinary, the lack of definite configurations prevented a more specific identification. No physical evidence, radar contact, or photographic documentation was associated with the event.