UFOB Sighting Report — Shelby, Iowa, 30 July 1955

On 30 July 1955, a group of observers at a Ground Observer Corps (GOC) post in Shelby, Iowa, reported a stationary object in the sky for over two and a half hours. The witnesses, including the manager of the Shelby Fertilizer Company and an accountant, described the object as appearing the size of a quarter penny held at arm's length, displaying red, white, and green flashing lights. Photographs were taken of the object, and a B-25 aircraft (AF8170) was directed to the area to investigate, but the pilot reported seeing nothing. The 4602d AISS conducted an investigation, which included checking with the University of Minnesota Observatory and local research agencies. The preparing officer initially suggested the object might be an aircraft, noting the flashing lights and lack of motion. However, the approving officer at headquarters disagreed, citing the excessive duration of the sighting and the object's stationary nature. The final conclusion offered by the headquarters was that the sighting was likely caused by a rawinsonde balloon, with the flashing lights and light beams attributed to the oscillation of the balloon's suspension train in wind currents. The film developed by the 514th Materiel Squadron Photo Lab yielded no results.