Project 10073 Record Card — Sighting in Buckingham, Iowa, 22 December 1960

This document contains a Project 10073 record card and supporting correspondence regarding a UFO sighting reported by a civilian in Buckingham, Iowa, on December 22, 1960. The witness, who was driving on a highway at approximately 5:50 PM, observed an object in the sky that initially appeared as a spot the size of a large orange star. The object traveled from the southeast toward the northwest at an altitude of 45-50 degrees. After two or three seconds, the object developed a tail and transformed into a white, tear-shaped ball that the witness estimated to be 100 times its original size. Large orange sparks or spots trailed behind the white ball. The entire event lasted approximately seven seconds, ending at 10-15 degrees above the horizon. The witness, who described themselves as having a high school education plus adult classes in bacteriology and chemistry, initially suspected a jet explosion but noted the object developed too slowly for such an event. The witness later expressed that they believed the object was a meteorite, noting they had never seen a satellite that matched the description. The report was forwarded by the Air Force Missile Test Center at Patrick Air Force Base to the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base for evaluation. The official conclusion recorded on the card is that the object possessed all the characteristics of a meteor, and the report was noted as being similar to others received from across the country during that time of year.