Project 10073 Record Card — Raytown, Missouri, 28 July 1958

This document is a Project 10073 record card and accompanying teletype report detailing an unidentified aerial phenomenon sighting in Raytown, Missouri, on July 28, 1958. The report was filed by 1st Lieutenant James P. Bistis of the 28th Air Division. According to the report, the object was observed by the witness's wife and a neighbor's child for a duration of three to five minutes. The object was described as cylindrical, white, and larger than a baseball held at arm's length. It exhibited a 'wobbling action' that gave it a 'worm-like appearance.' The flight path was observed moving from the southeast to the northwest, followed by a 180-degree 'U' turn, and then returning on a parallel path toward the southeast. The witness's wife initially speculated that the object might be a falling star or a satellite. Lieutenant Bistis noted that his own reluctance to report the sighting immediately resulted in a lack of available information regarding other air traffic in the area at the time. The Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base evaluated the report and concluded that the object displayed 'definitely balloon characteristics.' The evaluation emphasized that the description and movement were consistent with a balloon, and noted that the delay in reporting prevented a more thorough investigation. The document includes handwritten annotations, including a reference to wind conditions at 10,000 feet, which were noted as coming from the west-northwest, further supporting the balloon hypothesis.