Project 10073 Record Card — Indiana Sighting, August 7, 1957

On August 7, 1957, a series of sightings of unidentified aerial phenomena occurred across north-central Indiana. Numerous residents, including state and local police, reported seeing colored lights—red, blue, green, and white—hovering and moving over at least 11 towns, including Alexandria, Kokomo, Anderson, and Greenwood. The reports described the objects as flashing, changing colors, and varying in speed from stationary to high speed. Some witnesses noted the objects appeared to be the size of a star, while others described them as having distinct segments. The sightings lasted for approximately 20 minutes, with reports coming in between 12:18 a.m. and 2:00 a.m. local time.

Official military and police investigations were initiated. The Indiana State Police and the Marion County Sheriff's Office were inundated with over 1,000 telephone inquiries. Radar contact was reported by District 5 in Ohio, which tracked an object between 6,000 and 8,000 feet, though they were unable to identify it. Bunker Hill Air Force Base and Bakalar Air Base were contacted but could not provide immediate identification.

Following the investigation, the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) concluded that the sightings were caused by a KB-50 aerial refueling tanker on a round-robin flight from Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. The report suggests that the unusual appearance of the lights may have been due to new lighting configurations on the aircraft. Despite the official explanation, the event caused significant public concern, leading to widespread media coverage in local newspapers such as The Indianapolis Times and the Dayton Journal Herald. Correspondence included in the file shows that the Air Force maintained a consistent stance, informing citizens that there was a total lack of evidence that any reported objects were interplanetary or constituted a threat to national security.