Project 10073 Record Card — 18 August 1958 Sighting, Minot, North Dakota

This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and associated teletype reports detailing an unidentified aerial phenomenon sighting on August 18, 1958, near Minot, North Dakota. The witness, identified as a civilian physician deemed reliable, reported observing a single, round or oval-shaped object that appeared white and glowing, with a size comparable to a silver dollar. The object exhibited an orange glow during a turn and maintained a very high altitude while performing level flight maneuvers before gradually moving toward the south-southeast. The observation lasted approximately ten minutes. The witness utilized 16x binoculars to aid in the observation. Weather conditions at the time were reported as good and clear with 15 miles of visibility. The official evaluation conducted by the Air Defense Direction Center (ADDC) concluded that the object was likely a group of Strategic Air Command (SAC) bombers engaged in a refueling pattern in the area. The report notes that the timing of the aircraft over Minot and the time of the UFO report corresponded exactly, leading the Senior Director of the ADDC to strongly suspect that the witness had observed the refueling aircraft.