Project 10073 Record Card — McHenry, North Dakota, 7 February 1960

This document is a Project 10073 record card and associated teletype report concerning a UFO sighting that occurred on February 7, 1960, near McHenry, North Dakota. The primary witness, a farmer, reported observing a blue-colored object with a blue flame trailing behind it. The object was described as looking like a 'roman candle' and was seen traveling in a straight line across the sky for approximately one minute. The witness was in a car heading west-southwest on Highway 15, eight miles northwest of McHenry, when the object passed vertically over the vehicle. The weather conditions at the time were reported as having scattered clouds, 10-mile visibility, and a temperature of 33 degrees. The report includes a formal analysis by an investigator named Freid, who evaluated the sighting against various possibilities, including astronomical phenomena and satellites, both of which were ruled out. The investigator concluded that the object was likely a jet aircraft operating with an afterburner. This conclusion was supported by the observation of the blue flame, which is characteristic of an afterburner, and the high speed and rate of climb associated with such aircraft. The investigator addressed the lack of reported sound by suggesting that the witnesses were likely inside a car with the windows closed, which would have muffled the noise of the aircraft. The report explicitly states that the object was moving too fast to be a balloon. The documentation consists of the standard record card, a teletype summary of the sighting details, and an analysis sheet providing the final evaluation of the event.