Declassified UFO / UAP Document
Project 10073 Record Card: Sighting near Springfield, Missouri, 21 March 1961
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AI-Generated Summary
A B-47 crew reported a bright green light near Springfield, Missouri, on March 21, 1961. The incident was corroborated by two other aircraft and officially categorized as a possible meteor.
On March 21, 1961, at 0309 local time, the crew of a B-47 aircraft (tail number 2092, call sign CHUM 13) from the 384th Bomb Wing observed an unidentified aerial phenomenon while flying at an altitude of 26,000 feet, approximately 60 miles east of Springfield, Missouri. The crew reported seeing a green-colored light that was sufficiently bright to illuminate the aircraft's cockpit, which they described as being very similar to an ordinary green flare. The pilot estimated the object to be approximately 1,000 feet from the aircraft. The sighting was corroborated by two additional B-47 aircraft operating in the same general area. According to the pilot's report, the object did not appear to be moving at an extremely high rate of speed as it descended from his right to his left. Notably, the object left no trail, which the report contrasts with the expected behavior of a meteor or a burning nose cone. The incident was formally reported via the CIRVIS (Communication Instructions for Reporting Vital Intelligence Sightings) system to the St. Louis Center. The official conclusion recorded on the Project 10073 record card suggests the object was possibly a meteor that exploded, although the record notes that the source did not provide specific details regarding the duration of the sighting or the object's azimuth and elevation. The documentation consists of a Project 10073 record card and the incoming military staff message (384DCOI 01314) transmitted by the 825th Air Division at Little Rock Air Force Base to various commands, including SAC and CINCNORAD.
Source of light left no trail as would be expected from meteorite or burning nose cone.
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Official Assessment
possibly a meteor which exploded
The object was a green light observed by a B-47 crew. It was bright enough to illuminate the cockpit and was also seen by two other B-47s in the area. It did not leave a trail, which led to initial speculation about it being a meteor or a burning nose cone, though the pilot noted it did not appear to be moving at an extremely high rate of speed.