Project 10073 Record Card — Nebraska & Iowa, 5 November 1963

On 5 November 1963, multiple commercial and military aircraft reported sightings of unidentified lights over the Nebraska and Iowa region. The reports, consolidated in a series of Air Force incoming messages and a Project 10073 record card, describe an object or objects that appeared to change from bright to dim and back to bright. Witnesses included pilots from United Airlines (Flight 748), American Airlines (Flight 900), and TWA (Flight 58), as well as military aircraft identified as Spell 23 and Tony 19. The sightings occurred at approximately 1115Z. The pilots reported various flight paths, including movements from south to north and north to south, at altitudes around 30,000 feet. Weather conditions in the area were reported as poor, with low ceilings, fog, and cloud layers between 15,000 and 18,000 feet. Following the reports, TSgt David Moody contacted SPADATS to determine if the sightings could be attributed to satellite decay, but it was confirmed that no such decay occurred on that date. The official conclusion recorded on the Project 10073 card identifies the phenomenon as an astronomical meteor or meteors. The documentation includes a Command Post report and internal memos detailing the coordination between various Air Force units and the Pentagon.