UFO Sighting, 11 September 1965 — Sauk Centre, Minnesota

This document contains records regarding a UFO sighting reported by a state employee and pilot in Sauk Centre, Minnesota, on September 11, 1965. The witness, who was working on road construction at the time, observed two objects in the sky at approximately 4:00 PM. He initially mistook them for aircraft with landing lights, noting that they trailed smoke. Upon using 7x50 binoculars, he observed two objects that appeared to be black specks at a very high altitude. He reported that there was no engine noise. The witness contacted the local Highway Patrol, who checked with the Alexandria airport, but no aircraft were reported in the area. An instructor pilot at the local airport also observed the lights and initially suspected an airliner in trouble. The witness subsequently contacted his nephew, a B-52 pilot, who could not provide an explanation. The Air Force, through the Foreign Technology Division, investigated the report and concluded that the sighting had the characteristics of an aircraft observation at high altitude. They suggested that the objects were aircraft with contrails, and that the visual phenomena described—such as the objects appearing to disappear—were due to the reflection of sunlight off the aircraft's surface and the high altitude, which also explained the lack of audible engine noise.