UFO Observation Report — Coffeen, Illinois, January 26, 1967

This document collection details a UFO sighting reported by a Methodist minister in Coffeen, Illinois, on January 26, 1967. The witness, who was driving on Highway 185, observed an object for approximately 15 minutes. He described the object as having the shape of a 'clam and a helicopter,' with a lustreless, metallic surface and colored lights that moved from right to left. The witness noted that the object made no sound and appeared to have a rudder-like structure at the rear. He estimated the object was 300 feet away and moving at a speed of approximately 10 mph. The witness also reported a previous sighting on October 20, 1966, near Lawrenceville, Illinois. The Air Force, specifically the Foreign Technology Division at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, received the report and requested further information from the witness using FTD Form 164, as the initial report was deemed insufficient for scientific evaluation. The file also includes correspondence from the Wabash Valley Aviation Co., which explains that their night advertising aircraft—Cessna 172D planes equipped with electric signs—are frequently misidentified by the public as UFOs, particularly when viewed from a distance or on moonlit nights. The collection includes the witness's completed questionnaire, sketches of the object, and internal Air Force correspondence regarding the handling of the report.