Project 10073 Record Card: Sighting near North Platte, Nebraska, 19 March 1960

This document is a Project 10073 record card and associated correspondence regarding a UFO sighting reported on 19 March 1960, in the vicinity of North Platte, Nebraska. Two pilots, Captain William M. Mac Innes of the 141st TFS (NJANG) and Captain William W. Diener of the 3415th Tech School at Lowry AFB, observed three white, grapefruit-sized lights in a horizontal line formation. The witnesses reported that the lights were brighter than surrounding stars or ground lights and exhibited erratic movements. The objects were observed for approximately 5 to 6 minutes. During the sighting, the pilots noted that their UHF radio communication was interrupted, and they were unable to make contact with any station until they were 10 miles northeast of Denver. The pilots provided detailed accounts of the objects' movements, noting that they initially moved from left to right, disappeared, and then returned 5 minutes later, eventually moving instantaneously to the southeast in a line-abreast formation. The Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) conducted an investigation into the incident, requesting further clarification on the size of the lights, aircraft headings, and the specific timing of the objects' appearance and disappearance. The final analysis concluded that the sighting was likely a mirage. Investigators noted that the witnesses' use of the word 'haze' was a significant clue, suggesting that an inversion or haze layer was present. This atmospheric condition likely caused the bright stars or ground lights on or near the horizon to appear distorted, creating the visual effects reported by the pilots. The report concludes that the sighting was not an aircraft, but rather an atmospheric phenomenon.