Project 10073 Record Card and UFOB Report — Colfax, Iowa, 7 September 1955

This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and associated teletype reports regarding an Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) sighting that occurred on September 7, 1955, in Colfax, Iowa. The primary witness, identified as an Iowa housewife and a member of the Ground Observer Corps (GOC), reported observing a single, round, basketball-sized object for approximately ten minutes. The witness described the object as being black with spots, trailing smoke that was approximately half the size of the object itself, and noted that it was rolling and circling in a circular path. The witness reported that the object made no sound and appeared to be dropping something. The observation was made during daylight hours under clear weather conditions using 10x50 binoculars. The military response involved the 789th AC&W Squadron, which filed an official UFOB report (OPNS 611). The report was routed through various Air Force commands, including the Air Defense Command (ADC) at Ent AFB, the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) at Wright-Patterson AFB, and the 31st Air Division. The official conclusion reached by the Air Force was that the object was a 'possible balloon with package.' The documentation includes technical weather and wind aloft data for the time of the sighting and confirms that no radar contact was made and no photographs were taken. The file concludes with a note from 1st Lt. J.R. Morrison, who offered no further comment on the incident.