Project 10073 Record Card and Related Correspondence regarding UFO Film

This document collection details the investigation of a movie film submitted to the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) in March 1960. A witness from Indianapolis, Indiana, contacted Major Robert J. Friend, claiming to possess 8mm film taken on 11 July 1958, near Lincoln, Nebraska. The witness believed the film might provide insight into the Northwest Airlines accident that occurred on 17 March 1960, as she suspected a mid-air collision with an unidentified flying object. The witness was highly concerned about maintaining her privacy and preventing her husband from learning of her contact with the Air Force. Major Friend visited the witness at her home to view the film and secure it for analysis. The film was subsequently reviewed by AFCIN-4D4, which concluded that the 'bright spots' observed on the film were not unidentified flying objects, but rather reflections caused by objects on or within the automobile in which the photographer was riding, exacerbated by the bright sunlight. The Air Force officially determined that these were common photographic defects. The documents also record the Air Force's efforts to coordinate with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Civil Aeronautics Board regarding the witness's claims, while simultaneously addressing inquiries from the media regarding potential UFO involvement in the Northwest Airlines disaster. The film was ultimately returned to the witness, and the case was closed with the conclusion that no unidentified flying objects were present.