Project 10073 Record Card — Cloquet, Minnesota, 23 April 1963

On April 23, 1963, at 0258Z, a witness identified as the Chief of Guards at the Wood Conversion Company in Cloquet, Minnesota, observed an unidentified object. The witness described the object as tear-shaped and the size of a football. It was observed for a duration of five seconds, appearing as a bluish fireball with a bright tail and no visible exhaust. The object was seen falling in an arc from west to east. At the time of the sighting, the weather was clear. The witness reported the object was already in view and falling, with an initial elevation of 45 degrees and an azimuth of 270 degrees, ending at an elevation of 30 degrees and an azimuth of 270 degrees. The observation was eventually blocked by a building. The incident was formally reported via an incoming Air Force message (DUOIN-U-63-006) referencing AFR 200-1. The official conclusion reached by the Air Force, as noted on the Project 10073 record card, was that the object was an astronomical meteor. A NORAD intelligence officer provided no comment on the report.