Project 10073 Record Card — Kansas City, Missouri, 20 April 1955

On April 20, 1955, at approximately 0200Z, a civilian observer in Kansas City, Missouri, reported a sighting of an unidentified aerial phenomenon. The witness described a single, round, white object, estimated to be the size of a dime held at arm's length. The object was observed for two to three minutes, during which it traversed the sky at a tremendous speed, exhibiting highly erratic maneuvers and sharp turns. The observer noted a lack of sound associated with the object. The sighting occurred in clear weather conditions with unlimited visibility, though an invisible bank of cirrus clouds was present. The report was processed under Project 10073. Intelligence personnel from the Central Air Defense Force (CADF) investigated the incident and concluded that the phenomenon was caused by local searchlight activity. Specifically, it was determined that the searchlights were casting a brilliant white light onto the invisible bank of cirrus clouds, which, when viewed from the ground, created the illusion of a rapidly moving object capable of sharp, erratic turns. The report notes that the Director of Requirements for the Intelligence Section of CADF also observed the same phenomenon and confirmed the searchlight explanation. Consequently, the case was closed with no further investigation authorized.