Project 10073 Record Card and Correspondence — Kentland, Indiana, August 1961

On August 3, 1961, a 19-year-old civilian in Kentland, Indiana, reported observing an unidentified aerial phenomenon while sitting in his backyard with a friend. The witness, who had completed a semester of astronomy at Indiana University, was using a small telescope to watch for the Echo I satellite when he noticed an object approximately 45 degrees above the horizon. Initially, the object appeared to be a comet with a bright nucleus and a wide fan of light behind it. However, upon focusing his telescope on the object, the witness realized it was not a comet but rather an object with a system of lights and an audible sound, which he described as similar to an airplane. The object moved in an East-North-east direction at approximately the speed of a plane. A notable aspect of the sighting occurred after the object passed the zenith; the witness reported that the direction of the 'tail' or 'fan' of light changed, appearing to be directly in front of the object, similar to the headlights of a car. The witness, who was familiar with the appearance of airplanes at night due to the proximity of Kentland to flight paths from Chicago, felt compelled to report the sighting because the object was 'so much out of the ordinary.' The report was forwarded by the Air Defense Command to the Foreign Technology Division at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. In a follow-up letter dated September 5, 1961, the Foreign Technology Division informed the observer that his report did not contain sufficient information to reach a valid conclusion and requested that he complete additional forms to assist in their evaluation. The documentation includes the original Project 10073 record card, the observer's detailed narrative, and official correspondence between the Air Defense Command and the Foreign Technology Division.