Unidentified Flying Object Observed West of Wichita Falls, Texas on 28 September 1960

On 28 September 1960, at approximately 0424 hours local time, numerous witnesses in the vicinity of Wichita Falls, Texas, observed a bright, falling object in the sky. Reports from various observers, including police officers, a truck driver, and military personnel, described a white or blue-white light, sometimes with a greenish tint, that appeared to fall toward the ground. The duration of the sightings varied significantly, from 2 seconds to over 30 seconds. Despite extensive searches conducted by local police and a helicopter from Fort Sill, Oklahoma, no impact site or object was located. One witness, a housewife in Wichita Falls, reported observing material falling from the sky at 0800 hours that same morning. She collected a sample, which she described as having a rubber-like quality that shrank upon contact. This material was forwarded to the Smithsonian Institute for analysis. The Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) and the 1127th USAF Field Activities Group investigated the incident. The consensus among investigators was that the primary sighting was a classic meteor or fireball of unusual brilliance that likely burned up in the atmosphere. Regarding the recovered material, investigators tentatively concluded it was likely floating spider web material and bore no connection to the meteor sighting. The report emphasizes that the lack of noise reported by all witnesses suggests the object was at a much greater distance than initially estimated by observers, who were scattered across a wide area. The investigation concluded that the object did not land in the immediate vicinity of Wichita Falls.