Project 10073 Record Card and Associated Correspondence — Bunker Hill AFB, September 1959

On September 13, 1959, a pear-shaped object was observed near Bunker Hill Air Force Base in Indiana. The sighting, which lasted approximately nine and a half hours, was reported by multiple witnesses, including control tower personnel and a civilian student pilot flying a Cessna 172. The object was described as varying in color between white, cream, and metallic, and appeared to have something trailing beneath it. Initially stationary, the object was observed moving from the north to the southwest while rising slightly. Military personnel at the base attempted to intercept the object with a T-33 aircraft, which climbed to 38,000 feet but could not reach the object, which was estimated to be at an altitude between 55,000 and 60,000 feet. The sighting was reported to the Pentagon Command Post. An investigation was conducted by Captain George R. Van Dyke of the 305th Bombardment Wing. Despite inquiries to weather stations within a 300-mile radius and checks with research organizations such as General Mills, no confirmation of a balloon launch was found. Nevertheless, the investigating officer concluded that the object was likely a balloon of unknown type. The report includes detailed statements from witnesses, including air traffic control personnel and the civilian pilot, who reported being in shock after the encounter. The document also notes that no physical evidence was recovered and that the object became indistinguishable at dusk.