UFO Report — Keene, North Dakota, 8 November 1964

On November 8, 1964, at 034Z, a civilian rancher named George Tank Jr., along with Thomas Dbm Mc Namara and Tank's children, observed an unidentified aerial object near Keene, North Dakota. The witnesses reported seeing a brightly lit object, described as flat but shaped like a light bulb, which appeared smaller than a B-52 aircraft. The object traveled on a level flight path from the northwest to the southeast at an estimated altitude of 2,500 to 3,000 feet. The observation lasted approximately 8 to 10 seconds, during which time the witnesses noted no sound and no visible exhaust. The object eventually disappeared over the buttes. The report was filed by the 818th Strategic Aerospace Division at Minot AFB. The Air Force conducted a preliminary analysis, confirming that there was no military or commercial air traffic in the area at the time, as verified by the 2nd Air Force and the Air Defense Command. Despite the detailed description provided by the witnesses, the official conclusion reached by the Air Force was that the object was an astronomical phenomenon, specifically a meteor. The reporting officer emphasized the reliability of the primary witness, George Tank Jr., citing his background in civil defense and his familiarity with local flight routes, yet the final determination remained that the cause was a meteor.