Project 10073 Record Card — Kirksville, Missouri, 28 Sep 60

On September 28, 1960, at 0816Z, personnel at the 790th Radar Squadron at Kirksville Air Force Station in Missouri observed an unidentified radar return. The object appeared on the AN/FPS 6A height finder at 70,000 feet and was tracked for 45 seconds as it rapidly ascended to 100,000 feet before disappearing from the scope. The sighting was reported by two operators, A/3C Donald L. Mitchell and A/2C Walter W. Yount, both of whom were considered reliable. The weather at the time was reported as clear. Following the incident, the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) conducted an evaluation. In a memorandum dated October 4, 1960, Acting Chief Roy L. James concluded that the radar equipment used was powerful enough to occasionally pick up reflections caused by atmospheric conditions, specifically the mixing of warm moist air with cold dry air. This phenomenon was cited as the likely cause for the reported target's rapid altitude changes and subsequent disappearance. The report noted that no other radar stations in the area reported similar targets, which prevented further confirmation or denial of the weather-related explanation. The documentation includes the original Project 10073 record card, the initial sighting report (Cite S-61), and the subsequent request for analysis and final evaluation.