Project 10073 Record Card — Burlington, Iowa, 29 April 1958

This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and an associated teletype report regarding an aerial sighting that occurred on April 29, 1958, in Burlington, Iowa. At approximately 0210Z, a red object with a fiery tail was observed by witnesses in the area. The report indicates that approximately 20 people called the local radio station, KBUR, to report the sighting. The object was described as moving horizontally toward the horizon in a northerly direction. The duration of the observation was estimated to be between four and five seconds, after which the object disappeared from sight in the same manner it was sighted. The weather conditions at the time were reported as clear. The military investigation, conducted by the 788th AC&W Squadron at Waverly AFS, Iowa, and forwarded to the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC), concluded that the event was a 'typical fireball.' The documentation includes a teletype message sent from the 788th AC&W Squadron to various Air Force commands, including the Air Defense Command and the Air Technical Intelligence Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The report notes that there was no radar contact and no photographic evidence of the object. The Duty Director, 2nd Lt. Donald L. Napierkowski, provided no additional comments on the incident. The record card explicitly categorizes the event under the 'Was Astronomical Meteor' conclusion, reinforcing the official assessment that the sighting was a natural phenomenon.