Project 10073 Record Card — Fox River Grove, Illinois, 16 November 1956

This document is a Project 10073 record card and accompanying U.S. Air Force Technical Information Sheets detailing a UFO sighting reported by a 14-year-old boy in Fox River Grove, Illinois, on November 16, 1956. The witness reported observing a dull red, round object that hovered for approximately five minutes before accelerating rapidly on a southeast to north course. During this acceleration, the object reportedly changed color to bright red and shifted from a round shape to a cigar shape. The witness further claimed that three smaller, round objects emerged from a dark area of the sky and converged with the larger cigar-shaped object before it disappeared. The witness estimated the speed of the object to be at least 1,000 miles per hour, basing this on a previous observation of an F-86 jet breaking the sound barrier. The witness explicitly stated there were no visible wings, tails, or exhaust. The Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) evaluated the report and concluded that the sighting was likely an aircraft. The investigator noted that the location was under a heavy air traffic approach to Chicago, approximately 25 miles away. The investigator expressed skepticism regarding the witness's account, citing inconsistencies in the report—specifically the witness's initial description of a 'bright dot' versus later claims about instruments, engines, and smaller craft attached to the object—and ultimately attributed the report to an 'over-active imagination.'