Project 10073 Record: Louisville, Kentucky Sighting, March 19, 1967

On March 19, 1967, at approximately 7:20 P.M., a witness and his family were traveling south on Cane Run Road in Louisville, Kentucky, when they observed an unidentified aerial object. The witness, who had prior service in the Air Force, described the object as a single, brilliant light that varied in color from reddish on the outer edges to orange and a yellowish-white in the center. The object appeared to be traveling in a straight path at an altitude estimated by the witness to be between 3,000 and 4,000 feet. During the observation, which lasted approximately one minute, the witness's son noted that the object was shedding flaming material. Upon stopping the vehicle, the witness observed a significant amount of this material falling, which he initially feared indicated an explosion or disintegration. After the flaming material ceased, the object appeared to darken and change course to the northwest. The witness reported the incident to the Louisville Police Department and later contacted the Standiford Field tower, which had no record of aircraft in distress. The official conclusion recorded in the Project 10073 file identifies the object as a hot air balloon.