UFO Report — Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota, 10 January 1966

On 10 January 1966, at approximately 1810Z, a civilian inspector with the Base Civil Engineers at Ellsworth Air Force Base reported a sighting of an unidentified aerial object. The witness, a 64-year-old individual, observed a cylindrical object, described as bright white in color, with an estimated diameter of 75 feet and a depth of one-fifth of its diameter. The object was observed at an altitude of 8,000 feet for a duration of one minute. According to the report, the object emerged from clouds, performed a 180-degree banking turn, and subsequently returned into the clouds. The witness noted that bright flashes of light initially drew their attention to the object. Following the report, an investigation was conducted by the 821st Strategic Aerospace Division. By reviewing records from the Ellsworth RAPCON, officials determined that the object was actually a KC-135 aircraft, identified by the call sign Ghost 76. The aircraft was documented as making a penetration off the RCA-VOR at 1807Z and returning over the VOR at 1816Z, which aligned with the timing of the sighting. The report concludes that the object was identified as this specific military aircraft.