Project 10073 Record — UFO Observation, 26 August 1968

This document is a Project 10073 record concerning a UFO sighting reported on August 26, 1968, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The primary witness, a housewife, reported observing four flaming, reddish-pink balls in the sky at approximately 2025L. The witness, who was with a friend, initially thought the objects were a plane on fire. The objects were first sighted in the North-Northeast and traveled in a southerly direction, appearing to be in a landing pattern. The witness noted that the objects seemed to lose altitude and glide before disappearing after 10 to 12 seconds, appearing to burn out as their color changed. The Air Force investigation, led by Lt. Colonel Hector Quintanilla, Jr., concluded that the sighting was likely a balloon with flares attached, noting that surface winds were roughly Southwest at 8 knots. The report includes a completed Sighting of Unidentified Phenomena Questionnaire, sketches of the trajectory, and internal military communications. These communications indicate that local authorities, including the Air Academy Air Police, Colorado Springs Police, and the El Paso Sheriff, were contacted but reported no activity. Major R.D. Duckworth of the USAFA-DFE noted that while there were no known decaying satellites, the period was one of high meteor activity. The document serves as a formal record of the Air Force's investigation into the civilian report, ultimately categorizing the event as a possible balloon sighting.