Project 10073 Record — Duluth, Floodwood, Minnesota, 4 September 1966

On 4 September 1966, between 0140 and 0150 Zulu, four civilian witnesses observed an unidentified aerial object over Duluth and Floodwood, Minnesota. The witnesses, including a steel worker, a station agent, a highway patrolman, and an Air National Guard member, described the object as a bullet, tear-drop, or cylinder-shaped craft approximately 100 feet in length. The object was reported to be silent and displayed a variety of colors, including blue, orange, red, and white, before changing to a bluish-green color. One witness reported that the object possessed a long red tail. The object was observed moving from east to west, descending at an angle of 35 to 45 degrees, before it appeared to burn out and fall into a swamp. The duration of the sighting was estimated between 5 and 45 seconds. Following the incident, an intelligence officer and two air rescue personnel conducted a search of the area by helicopter on 6 September 1966, but found no physical evidence. The preliminary analysis by the Air Force suggested the object was likely a meteor or ball lightning.