Project 10073 Record — Waterloo, Iowa, 26 August 1968

This document contains the official record for a UFO sighting reported on August 26, 1968, near Waterloo, Iowa. Two civilian witnesses, identified as students, reported observing a triangular-shaped object defined by a white light in the front and two green lights in the back. The object was described as being the size of a baseball and remained stationary for two minutes before experiencing instantaneous acceleration. The sighting occurred at approximately 2305 local time, one mile north of Plainfield, Iowa, on US Highway 218. The weather conditions at the time were reported as cloudy with an overcast ceiling of 3,800 feet. The Air Force, through the Foreign Technology Division, initiated an investigation and requested that the witnesses complete an AF Form 117 to provide further scientific data. However, as of October 4, 1968, the witnesses had failed to return the requested documentation. Consequently, the official conclusion reached by the Air Force was that there was insufficient data for a proper evaluation. The investigating officer, a weapons controller at the Waverly Air Force Station, suggested that the object could have been a private aircraft, a helicopter, or a prank, noting that a helicopter was the most likely explanation. The file includes the project record, copies of correspondence sent to the witnesses, and the incoming staff message from the 788th Radar Squadron.