Project 10073 Record Cards and Air Intelligence Information Reports — Cedar Rapids, Iowa, September 1955

This document compiles intelligence reports and record cards regarding an Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) sighting that occurred on September 8, 1955, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The primary witness was Steve Sedlacek, a 24-year-old photographer and Ground Observer Corps (GOC) observer. Sedlacek reported observing a cigar-shaped, bright orange object, approximately 25 to 50 feet in length, for a duration of three minutes. He described the object as having a phosphorescent appearance, noting it looked like '50 rangelights together.' The object was observed moving east and then fading from view. Sedlacek, who had no military experience but was considered a reliable and deliberate witness, observed the object with the naked eye and through six-power binoculars. No sound, vapor trail, or motion was associated with the object.

The investigation was conducted by Detachment 2 of the 4602d Air Intelligence Service Squadron (AISS). Investigators checked local weather conditions, which were reported as clear, and verified that no balloon launches could account for the sighting. A check with the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) at the Cedar Rapids Municipal Airport revealed that a Beechcraft Bonanza aircraft had landed at the airport at 0455Z, which closely matched the time of the sighting. The airport was located six miles south of the city, which investigators believed accounted for the time difference between the object fading from sight and the aircraft landing. The investigators concluded that the sighting was likely caused by this aircraft, suggesting that the bright orange color was a reflection of city lights on the plane or the aircraft's own navigation lights. They further noted that the lack of perceived motion and sound was consistent with an aircraft traveling at a low rate of speed head-on toward the observer at a significant distance. The report concludes that there was no evidence of balloon or astronomical activity, and the official finding was that the sighting was probably caused by an aircraft.