Project 10073 Record — Desoto, Missouri, 28 October 1967

On October 28, 1967, a civilian witness in Desoto, Missouri, reported observing a bright white light in the sky for approximately 20 minutes. The witness, who identified herself as a former member of the Severe Weather Corps and a former Civil Air Patrol squadron commander, was driving an automobile at the time of the sighting. She initially mistook the object for a star but noted its extreme brightness. She also reported hearing a 'whizzing sound' during the observation. The witness provided a detailed questionnaire, noting that the object appeared to stand still at times and disappeared and reappeared. She also indicated that the object moved in front of her car. The Air Force's Foreign Technology Division reviewed the report and concluded that the sighting was 'Passable (SATELLITE).' The official analysis noted that given the observer was in a moving vehicle, it was unlikely she would have heard a sound unless the object was exceptionally close or loud. Because the object appeared as a point of light, the investigators assumed it was quite distant and that the reported sound was unrelated to the sighting. The report includes a formal letter from Colonel James C. Manatt of the Foreign Technology Division, dated October 28, 1967, informing the witness that the initial information provided was insufficient for a scientific investigation and requesting the completion of an AF Form 117. A handwritten note on the document indicates that this case was received in the same envelope as another unidentified case from February-March 1967 involving a witness named Huskey, also from Desoto, Missouri.