Project 10073 Record Card — 10 Miles South of Ottumwa, Iowa, 12 February 1957

This document is a Project 10073 record card and associated CIRVIS report detailing a UFO sighting that occurred on February 12, 1957, approximately 10 miles south of Ottumwa, Iowa. A civilian airline pilot reported encountering a round, white object, described as being the size of a basketball, at an altitude of 7,000 feet. The pilot noted that the object appeared to be on a collision course and that the aircraft altered its course to avoid it, noting that the object also appeared to alter its course. The encounter lasted between five and six minutes. The pilot described the object as a bright, solid, and large light. Following an investigation, the official conclusion reached by the Office of the Director of Technical Intelligence was that the object was a weather balloon. This determination was based on the location of a weather balloon station in Des Moines, Iowa, and the fact that the reported bearing of the object (310-320 degrees) and the wind directions at the reported altitude (310 degrees) coincided with the balloon's expected path. The report includes technical details regarding the aircraft involved, identified as a Beechcraft Bonanza, and confirms that the sighting occurred at night under clear weather conditions. The document serves as a formal record of the incident and the subsequent intelligence assessment.