Project 10073 Record Card and FBI Correspondence — Scotia, Nebraska, November 1957

This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and supporting correspondence from the Federal Bureau of Investigation regarding an alleged aerial sighting near Scotia, Nebraska, on November 5, 1957. The incident involved two young farmers who reported observing an object that appeared to be a balloon. The witnesses described the object as descending and then ascending again before disappearing. They also reported hearing a sound similar to a helicopter and smelling an odor resembling burning fuel. Notably, the witnesses claimed to have experienced a temporary state of paralysis upon sighting the object. The FBI, through Resident Agent Joseph R. Partington, investigated the report following a telephonic communication with Lieutenant Colonel William J. Spratt. The investigation included an interview with an individual who had heard the account from the two boys. The official conclusion recorded on the project card characterizes the information as hearsay and suggests the object was possibly a balloon, ultimately classifying the report as unreliable. The document includes administrative details regarding the communication between the FBI's Omaha office and the USAF 13th District Office of Special Investigations at Offutt Air Force Base.