Project 10073 Record Card — LaFollette, Tennessee, 6 November 1954

On 6 November 1954, at 2020Z, an Air Defense Alert Crew consisting of Captain Karl S. Payne, 1st Lieutenant Melvin C. Bowen, and 2nd Lieutenant Mark J. Stubber of the 469th Fighter Interceptor Squadron observed an unidentified object over LaFollette, Tennessee. The object was described as round, nickel, and silver in color, drifting in a south-southeast direction with no observed maneuvers. The observation lasted for approximately five minutes under conditions of clear, unlimited visibility. The pilots were vectored to the object by Air Defense Command radar. Following the encounter, the Intelligence Officer of the 460th Fighter Interceptor Squadron conducted an assessment of the incident. It was concluded that the object was a 100-gram meteorological balloon that had been released earlier that day at 1500Z. The report emphasizes that the pilots, who observed the object from 36,000 feet, positively identified it as a meteorological balloon, and the intelligence assessment found no reason to doubt this identification, citing the drift characteristics and the reliability of the witnesses.