Project 10073 Record: UFO Sighting at Forbes AFB, Kansas, 30 March 1966

On 30 March 1966, at approximately 2030 CST, eight personnel stationed at Forbes Air Force Base in Topeka, Kansas, observed an unidentified aerial phenomenon. The witnesses, including several airmen and a staff sergeant, described the object as having an umbrella-like shape and appearing white, though it reportedly changed colors to green and red. The object was observed to move in a fast, horizontal figure-eight pattern, hover, and then move vertically before disappearing in a southeast direction. The sighting lasted approximately 12 minutes. The witnesses reported no sound associated with the object. One witness managed to take a photograph of the object. Following the incident, the Foreign Technology Division (FTD) requested that the observers complete technical questionnaires and that the original negative be forwarded for analysis. The subsequent photo analysis, conducted by the Photo Analysis Division and the Photo Processing Division, concluded that the image was of insufficient size and definition for a reliable assessment. The analysts noted a lack of background density, an absence of format outline, and the presence of pressure marks on the negative, suggesting the image might be a processing aberration rather than an actual representation of the object. Despite the inconclusive nature of the photograph, the reliability of the observers was officially rated as 100 percent. The final assessment from the Air Force stated that there was insufficient information or documentation to make a reliable analysis, and no comment was offered regarding the possible cause or identity of the reported object.