Project Blue Book Sighting Report — Metropolis, Illinois, 4 September 1966

This document contains a Project Blue Book sighting report regarding an unidentified aerial phenomenon observed on September 4, 1966. The primary witness, a 21-year-old male factory employee, reported seeing a strange object while driving his car near a state highway garage west of Carbondale, Illinois. The witness, accompanied by his father, described the object as a dark, hat-shaped craft that appeared to be rotating and flickering with lights. The witness noted that the object was brighter than the background and appeared to be about the size of a baseball held at arm's length. During the observation, which lasted approximately ten minutes, the witness claimed that his car's lights suddenly dimmed. The object traveled from south to north at a slow speed, remaining at an altitude slightly above large trees. The witness reported the incident to the local police department and subsequently completed a questionnaire for the Air Force. Major Hector Quintanilla, Jr., Chief of Project Blue Book, responded to the witness on September 27, 1966, stating that the information provided was insufficient for a formal evaluation and requested that the witness complete an additional FTD Form 164. The official conclusion recorded on the project form is 'INSUFFICIENT DATA FOR EVALUATION'.