Declassified UFO / UAP Document
Project 10073 Record Card — 15 mi SW Lead, South Dakota, 24 June 1960
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AI-Generated Summary
This document is a military sighting report from 1960 detailing an oblong, multi-colored object observed over South Dakota. The military investigation concluded the case had insufficient data for identification.
On June 24, 1960, at 0955Z, a military unit, the 740th ACWRON based at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, filed a report regarding an unidentified aerial object. The sighting occurred 15 miles southwest of Lead, South Dakota, at coordinates 44 degrees 10 minutes North, 104.00 degrees West. The witness described a single oblong object, estimated to be two and a half times as long as it was wide. The object displayed variable colors, including red, green, orange, and white, and was noted for flashing with brilliance. The observation lasted for 30 minutes, during which the object appeared to move very slowly, eventually descending and disappearing over the horizon. The weather conditions at the time were reported as clear. The report was transmitted via teletype to several military commands, including the Air Technical Intelligence Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the Air Defense Command at Ent Air Force Base, and the Secretary of the Air Force. The official conclusion reached by the evaluating agency was that the case contained insufficient data for a definitive identification. It was suggested that the object might have been an astronomical body viewed under specific atmospheric conditions that caused the observed flashing, but the lack of precise elevation and azimuth data prevented a more rigorous analysis. The document includes a Project 10073 record card and the original teletype communication, with a note indicating that a copy was provided to Dr. J. Allen Hynek.
Probably an astronomical object viewed under atmospheric conditions to give flashes, however position (both elevation and azimuth) of object was not included in the report therefore no identification of the object can be made.
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Official Assessment
Probably an astronomical object viewed under atmospheric conditions to give flashes, however position (both elevation and azimuth) of object was not included in the report therefore no identification of the object can be made. Case listed as insufficient Data.
The object was observed for 30 minutes and described as an oblong shape with variable colors. Due to the lack of precise elevation and azimuth data, the military concluded the case had insufficient data for identification, though it was speculated to be an astronomical object.
Key Persons
- Dr. HynekRecipient of copy