Declassified UFO / UAP Document
Project 10073 Record Card — St. Cloud, Minnesota, 23 July 1955
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AI-Generated Summary
A civilian reported a red, round object in St. Cloud, Minnesota, on July 23, 1955. USAF investigators concluded the object was likely a commercial aircraft based on flight path analysis.
This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and an associated teletype report regarding an unidentified aerial object sighting in St. Cloud, Minnesota, on July 23, 1955. The witness, identified as a civilian prisoner, reported observing a single, round, red object, described as being the size of a nickel, traveling west at a slow rate of speed. The observation lasted approximately seven to eight minutes. The report includes technical details regarding the weather conditions at the time, noting clear skies and specific wind data. The investigating officer, Captain Franklin H. Gitzel of the USAF Operations CIC, evaluated the sighting by comparing the reported time and location against known flight schedules. He noted that a Northwestern flight departed Minneapolis for Fargo, North Dakota, at 2050 CST, which was twenty minutes before the sighting occurred. Because St. Cloud is situated along the flight path between Minneapolis and Fargo, and the object's behavior—a straight course over a significant duration—was consistent with standard aviation, the official conclusion reached was that the object was 'probably aircraft.' The teletype communication confirms the administrative processing of this report through various military channels, including the 31st Air Division at Snelling Air Force Station and the Air Defense Command.
Since this obj crossed a major portion of the sky, in a straight course, in a period of seven to eight minutes, it is highly suggestive of a/c.
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Official Assessment
Probably aircraft.
The object was observed for seven to eight minutes traveling in a straight line. The investigator noted that a Northwestern flight departed Minneapolis for Fargo, North Dakota, at 2050 CST, twenty minutes prior to the sighting. St. Cloud lies along this flight path, approximately 50 miles from Minneapolis, leading to the conclusion that the object was likely an aircraft.