Project 10073 Record — Sighting Report, Mandan, North Dakota, April 17, 1968

This document details a sighting report and subsequent investigation into an unidentified aerial phenomenon observed near Mandan, North Dakota, on April 17, 1968. At approximately 11:45 P.M., the wife of Harlow Haverkamp, a fireman for the Montana-Dakota Utilities Co., observed a bright, glowing object falling from the sky. The observation lasted approximately four seconds. The following morning, Mr. Haverkamp discovered a metallic fragment on his property, approximately 300 feet from his house, in the same direction his wife had seen the object fall. He noted an imprint on the ground where the object appeared to have landed. The fragment was described as being approximately 11 inches long, 4 3/4 inches wide, and 1 inch thick, with a silver shine beneath a scorched exterior. Mr. Haverkamp reported the incident to the U.S. Air Force and expressed interest in having the object tested. The Air Force subsequently contacted Mr. Haverkamp and requested a portion of the fragment for examination. The investigation, conducted by the Aerial Phenomenon Office of the Air Force Systems Command, concluded that the sighting was a probable meteor. Regarding the physical evidence, USAF analysts determined that the fragment was composed of common elements, specifically aluminum and iron, and concluded that the item was not related to the sighting. A formal letter of appreciation was sent to the Haverkamp family by Lt. Colonel Hector Quintanilla, Jr., Chief of the Aerial Phenomenon Office, informing them that the item was being returned to them for their retention as it could not be substantively identified as anything other than common debris.