UFO Sighting Report — Hibbing, Minnesota, 12 February 1965

This document is a consolidated report of three sightings of an unidentified flying object that occurred on February 12, 1965, in the vicinity of Hibbing, Minnesota. The reports were received by the 30th Air Division at Truax Field, Wisconsin. Witnesses included a Captain from the 179th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, a professor from the University of Minnesota, and other civilians. The object was described as very large, round, and multi-colored, with red, yellow, green, and blue flames. It was observed moving slowly and descending, with witnesses noting that pieces appeared to break off and disintegrate. The object was estimated to be approximately 100 feet across and was seen at an altitude well above 10,000 feet. The duration of the sighting was brief, lasting only 4 to 5 seconds. At the time of the sightings, two F-89 aircraft were conducting low-level intercepts in the area. The official conclusion reached by the Air Force was that the object was likely a meteor or space debris, specifically referencing SPADATS object 231, which entered the atmosphere around that time. Some investigators suggested the possibility that the observers had witnessed the afterburners of the F-89 aircraft, though the aircrew involved insisted they had observed an object entering the atmosphere and disintegrating. The report notes that the Minnesota Highway Patrol also observed the object.