Project 10073 Record and Investigation Reports — March 1967

This document is a collection of reports and correspondence regarding Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) sightings in Illinois and Michigan during March 1967. The primary investigator, William Powers of the Dearborn Observatory at Northwestern University, conducted interviews with several witnesses, including a Knox County Deputy Sheriff and a Moline Police Department patrolman. The Deputy Sheriff reported a sighting on March 6, 1967, near Henderson, Illinois, describing a metallic, oval-shaped object that hovered, spun, and emitted a hissing sound. He estimated the object's size at 30 feet and noted a brilliant column of light emanating from its base. The investigator found the witness's account credible and classified the report as dealing with an unconventional object. Another significant case involved Patrolman William Fisher in Moline, Illinois, who captured motion picture film of an object on March 9, 1967. The investigator reviewed this film and noted that while the object appeared as a horizontally elongated oval, the image quality was degraded by atmospheric effects. The investigator suggested that the object in the film could potentially be a conventional aircraft, such as a jet departing on a climbing path, and recommended further analysis using computer-aided density readings. The document also includes a questionnaire completed by a young witness, Greg Brown, regarding a sighting in Tawas City, Michigan, on March 6, 1967. The correspondence between the Dearborn Observatory and the Air Force's Research and Aerial Phenomena Division highlights the ongoing efforts to secure the original film for official evaluation by the Air Force and the Condon committee. The investigator's notes emphasize the difficulty of distinguishing between conventional objects and truly anomalous phenomena, particularly when witnesses are motivated by a strong interest in UFOs. The document concludes with a classification system for sightings, ranging from Class 1 (positively identified as conventional) to Class 5 (sufficient detail to rule out conventional causes).