Project 10073 Record: Sighting Report - Hibbing, Minnesota, 13 September 1966

This document contains the official Project Blue Book investigation records regarding a UFO sighting reported in Hibbing, Minnesota, on 13 September 1966. Multiple observers, including a private pilot and certified weather observer, reported seeing a pale red, translucent, egg-shaped object in the northern sky. The object was described as stationary and appeared to be a cloud or vapor. The investigation, led by Major Hector Quintanilla, Jr., involved contacting Mr. McBay at the Goddard Space Flight Center to cross-reference the sighting with upper atmospheric research studies. It was determined that a Nike-Apache rocket was launched from Fort Churchill, Canada, at 0135Z on 14 September 1966. This rocket reached an altitude of approximately 102 statute miles and released a cloud that would have been visible for up to 900 miles. The official conclusion reached by Project Blue Book was that the observed phenomenon was the result of this chemical cloud release, which was part of a series of research launches conducted during that period. The document includes completed U.S. Air Force technical information questionnaires from the witnesses, correspondence from Major Quintanilla to the witnesses explaining the findings, and internal military communications regarding the incident.