Project 10073 Record Card: Sighting near Russell and Salina, Kansas, 27 Jan 61

On January 27, 1961, at 23:34 local time, a sighting of an unidentified aerial phenomenon occurred in Kansas, specifically 10 miles southwest of Russell. The object was described by witnesses as a large, round, green ball that appeared in the southwest and descended in a straight path. The observation lasted approximately 15 seconds. Witnesses, including a Major from the 488th Bomb Wing and local farmers, reported hearing an explosion associated with the object. The 793rd ACW Squadron at Hutchinson AFS filed a report on the incident, noting that the witnesses were separated by approximately 70 nautical miles but observed the object simultaneously, suggesting it was at a very high altitude. The official conclusion reached by the Air Technical Intelligence Center was that the object was a meteor, specifically a bolide. The report notes that such meteors are known to enter the Earth's atmosphere and occasionally explode with enough intensity to be heard for miles, which is consistent with the witnesses' reports of an explosion. The incident was documented on a Project 10073 record card and included a teletype report from the 793rd ACW Squadron to various Air Force commands, including the Air Technical Intelligence Center at Wright-Patterson AFB.