Project 10073 Record Card and Incident Report — Cloverdale, Indiana, April 1950

This document is a Project 10073 record card and associated military teletype report concerning an aerial sighting on April 4, 1950, over Cloverdale, Indiana. The observers, 1st Lt. Robert F. Schram and 1st Lt. Ronald L. Jones of the 68th AREFS, were operating an aircraft at 22,000 feet when they observed a greenish, flare-like object. The object was described as falling and breaking into two smaller pieces. The observation lasted between three and five seconds. The crew was on a refueling mission and was clearing the area visually for other aircraft. The aircraft's heading was 215 degrees at a speed of 255 knots. The object was seen at 260 degrees elevation plus 20 degrees and disappeared at 260 degrees azimuth minus 5 degrees. The observers initially believed the object to be a type of flare. However, the official evaluation by the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) concluded that the object was likely a bolide, noting that the duration was too short for a flare and that the characteristics were consistent with a meteor sighting. Radar data from the time of the incident indicated that the only aircraft on the screen were the B-47 and KC-135 involved in the mission, and no flares were recorded on local radar. The report includes detailed coordinates (39-31N and 86-49W) and confirms that the weather was clear at the time of the sighting.