UFO Report — Lincoln, Nebraska, 7 October 1959

This document details an Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) sighting that occurred on October 7, 1959, near Lincoln, Nebraska. The report, filed by the 818th Air Division, describes an observation made by three witnesses, including a Lieutenant Colonel in the Selective Service and a student studying astronomy. The witnesses observed a round, white-to-yellow object, described as being the size of a dime, moving in an erratic pattern at high altitude and high speed. According to the report, the object traveled on a 330-degree heading before making a series of abrupt turns—specifically to 360 degrees, 090 degrees, and 180 degrees—before following a gradual curved path and eventually fading from sight. The observers noted that the object appeared to stop momentarily at the 90-degree turning points and dimmed and brightened periodically during its flight. The total duration of the sighting was approximately two minutes. The witnesses, who were familiar with jet aircraft, stated that the object traveled significantly faster than the jets they had observed in the area. The report notes that no controlled air traffic was scheduled in the area during the time of the sighting, except for aircraft performing landing approaches. The investigating officer, Captain Udell S. Adair, noted that the observers appeared sincere and provided a thorough account of the object's movements. Despite the detailed description, the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) and the preparing officers could not provide a definitive explanation for the sighting. The final assessment concluded that while the object's behavior was inconsistent with known aircraft, the only remaining possibility was that the witnesses had observed something related to a large flying aircraft, yet in the absence of positive evidence, the incident was officially classified as unidentified.