Project 10073 Record Card: Sighting of November 20, 1961, near Mackinaw, Illinois

This document details a UFO sighting report from November 20, 1961, near Mackinaw, Illinois. Two airmen from the 169th Tactical Fighter Squadron, while plowing a field at night, observed a bright, stationary light in the southwest. The light eventually broke into a cluster of 8 to 12 smaller lights that moved in a straight line across the sky. The witnesses reported a low-pitched, rumbling sound similar to a jet engine. The sighting lasted approximately 4 to 5 minutes. An investigation was conducted by Captain Ronald L. Pilon, who interviewed the witnesses and visited the site. The official conclusion reached by the Aerial Phenomenon Division was that the sighting was likely a KC-97 tanker aircraft involved in a refueling mission within the 'Panda Bear' refueling sector. The report notes that the witnesses were reliable and that the observed phenomena, while unusual, were consistent with known aircraft behavior, specifically a tanker and a jet in a 'stem chase' maneuver. The document includes a record card, a detailed report of the visit, and subsequent correspondence between military units confirming that a tanker run was investigated as a potential explanation. The report emphasizes that there was no evidence of an interplanetary vehicle or a security threat to the United States.