Project 10073 Record — Crane, Indiana, 8 October 1954

This document contains a report regarding an unidentified flying object sighting that occurred on October 8, 1954, at the U.S. Naval Ammunition Depot in Crane, Indiana. The primary witness, a Depot employee, was digging a water line trench with his wife when they observed an object moving through the sky. The witness described the object as ovular in shape, approximately 75 feet in length, and surrounded by a brilliant blue-violet halo. The object trailed a stream of fire or flame estimated to be six times its own length, with occasional bursts of white fire. The witness noted that the object traveled in a true horizontal plane and produced a high, barely audible sound comparable to a ricochet. The duration of the sighting was estimated at three to five seconds, and the object was observed at an altitude between 800 and 1,000 feet, moving in a northeast by east direction. The witness explicitly stated that the object's speed far exceeded that of a jet. The report was forwarded by the Commanding Officer of the Naval Ammunition Depot to the Director of Intelligence at Headquarters USAF and the Air Technical Intelligence Center at Wright-Patterson AFB. Supplemental information provided by the Depot noted that weather conditions were clear with good visibility and that there was no known air traffic or meteorological activity that could account for the sighting. Despite the witness's detailed description of horizontal flight, the official Project 10073 record form concludes that the object was 'PROBABLY ASTRONOMICAL: METEOR.' The document includes correspondence from Lt. Colonel Joseph A. Blocher of the Directorate of Intelligence, acknowledging receipt of the report and confirming that it had been turned over to analysts for further evaluation.