Unidentified Flying Object Report — Amarillo, Texas, 10 November 1957

This document is a formal Unidentified Flying Object Report (AISS-UFOB-708-57) filed by the 688th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron at Amarillo Air Force Base, Texas, on November 26, 1957. The report details a sighting that occurred on November 10, 1957, at 0147Z. The observer reported seeing two or three red lights moving east for approximately two to three minutes. The object was described as being one-half mile to the west, at an altitude of 50 feet, and passing over a car before moving upward and toward the west. The observer also noted a bright light on the bottom of the object, which they compared to a searchlight or floodlight. The report includes weather data, noting overcast conditions with a 1,200-foot broken ceiling and a 3,500-foot overcast layer. The squadron checked for potential balloon activity, noting that a weather balloon had been launched at 2300Z on November 9, 1957, which was expected to be 60 miles east of Amarillo at an altitude of 55,000 to 60,000 feet. The Operations Officer, Captain Edmund E. Kelley, provided a critical comment, stating that there had been a 'rash of such sightings' in the area over the past month, fueled by significant publicity. He expressed skepticism regarding the validity of these reports, suggesting that public consciousness of the topic was influencing the reporting. The final conclusion recorded on the index card indicates that the description, duration, and flight path suggest the probability of an aircraft.