PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD - 8 November 1956 - Rapid City, South Dakota

This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and an accompanying military teletype report regarding an Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon (UAP) sighting near Rapid City, South Dakota, on November 8, 1956. The primary witness, a Captain from the 28th Bombardment Squadron, reported observing a single object that appeared to be shaped like a flame from a jet fighter with its afterburner engaged. The object was described as blue at the head, shading into orange at the tail, and emitting orange-colored sparks. It was estimated to be five to ten feet long and was observed for approximately eight to ten seconds. The witness noted that the object moved at a very high rate of speed, faster than any jet, and maintained a straight and level flight path before executing a sharp pull-up and disappearing. The report explicitly states that no solid object was visible, only a flame-like trail. The witness, described as a mature and reliable officer with sixteen years of service, was initially reluctant to report the incident due to a fear of ridicule, which caused a delay in the filing of the report. Despite the witness's conviction that the object was not a meteor or caused by atmospheric conditions, the official conclusion recorded on the project card is 'Probable meteor sighting.' The documentation includes internal military correspondence routing the report to the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base for further evaluation, in accordance with Air Force Regulation 200-2.