Project 10073 Record — Sidney, Nebraska, 14 October 1966

This document details a UFO sighting report filed under Project 10073, concerning an event on 14 October 1966 near Sidney, Nebraska. Three airmen from the 809th Combat Support Group observed a round, unidentified object from the launch control facilities of site Juliet 1. The object was described as having red lights that flashed to green and then to white. It reportedly had no exhaust, tail, or trail, and made no sound. The observation lasted over an hour, from 0525Z to 0710Z. The object was initially seen at an altitude of 2,000 to 3,000 feet before rising to 10,000 feet, where it was last spotted between the Little Dipper and the North Star. The witnesses used binoculars for their observation. Following the incident, the Foreign Technology Division (FTD) issued a memorandum to the 809th Combat Support Group, noting that the report had not been submitted in accordance with Air Force Regulation (AFR) 80-17. The FTD instructed the group to investigate the sighting properly and to refrain from contacting the FTD Duty Officer unless there was a clear threat to national security. Capt. Dersheimer of the 90th Strategic Missile Wing at Warren AFB, Wyoming, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the object was a small aircraft engaged in a long holding pattern over Sidney. The investigator further remarked that airmen on night patrol were frequently reporting various lights and suggested that they required additional training in the identification of objects.