PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD - 17 Dec 55

On December 17, 1955, numerous reports were received from Nebraska, Missouri, and Oklahoma regarding strange objects observed in the sky. Witnesses described streaks in the sky and the explosion of objects that appeared to resemble red and green flares. Military records indicate that the Lincoln, Nebraska Journal and the Lincoln Railroad Yard reported hearing loud to moderate explosions in the area at the time of the sightings. Additionally, a Beechcraft aircraft flying at 2,500 feet in the Kansas City area reported to the 738th AC&W Squadron at Olathe, Kansas, that it was almost hit by the red and green flares. A survey of flying activities conducted by the 13th and 14th Fighter Interceptor Squadrons in Sioux City, Iowa, confirmed that no military aircraft were in the area at the time of the report. The official conclusion recorded on the Project 10073 record card is that the phenomenon was an astronomical meteor, noting that the wide area of observation supports this assessment. The document also includes supplementary material from a publication discussing the scientific mystery of sounds associated with giant meteors, suggesting that while the speed of sound is relatively slow, reports of simultaneous light and sound may be linked to electromagnetic radiation or other physical phenomena that warrant further study by researchers such as those at the RAND Corporation.