PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD - 23 November 1957

This document is a Project 10073 record card and associated military teletype report detailing an unidentified aerial phenomenon observed on November 23, 1957, near Joliet, Illinois. The sighting was reported by five commercial airline pilots from various carriers, including TWA, American Airlines, Northwest, and United. The witnesses described a large, round, brilliant white object that appeared orange when passing behind thin clouds. The object was observed for approximately five minutes at an estimated altitude of 10,000 feet. It was reported to hover at times and maintain a straight course when moving. In addition to the visual reports, a CAA ground radar operator, J. J. Murphy, reported a radar contact for ten sweeps on his scope, located 52 miles southwest of Chicago on a bearing of 253 degrees from Midway Airport. The military investigation, conducted by the 755th ACW Squadron, concluded that the object was likely a balloon. The report notes that a balloon had been released from Moline, Illinois, at approximately 0000Z. Based on wind plots, investigators determined that the balloon likely drifted into the Joliet area, exhibiting slight zig-zag movements to the east, which matched the characteristics of the reported sighting. The document includes technical details regarding the weather conditions, which featured thin scattered overcast between 8,000 and 10,000 feet, and confirms that no physical evidence was recovered and no interception or identification action was taken by military aircraft.