Project 10073 Record — Sighting Near Grissom AFB, Indiana, 30 August 1968

This document contains a Project 10073 record regarding a UFO sighting reported by a civilian family near Grissom Air Force Base, Indiana, on the night of August 30, 1968. The reporting witness, a Vice-President of Consolidated Industries Corp, stated that he and his family were driving from Marion to Lafayette when they observed a bright light on the horizon. They initially assumed it was an airplane, but the object's slow movement and lack of typical aircraft behavior led them to follow it. The family reported two distinct sightings within 30 minutes. During the first, the object appeared to pass over the road with bright white lights resembling cabin windows, amber lights, and high-density landing lights. They later observed an amber light moving fast and heard a faint humming noise, which they compared to an electrical transformer. A second sighting occurred later that evening, where the object appeared closer, at an estimated altitude of 300 feet, with white lights and brilliant beams directed toward the ground. The witness noted that the object was too slow for a jet or piston plane and lacked the noise of a helicopter. The Air Force conducted an investigation, checking with Grissom Base Operations, the Tower, and RAPCON. They concluded that the first sighting was likely a KC-135 aircraft on a landing approach to Grissom AFB, noting that the timing and location correlated with the active runway pattern. However, the Air Force stated they could not find any firm explanation for the second sighting. The report includes the completed Sighting of Unidentified Phenomena Questionnaire, hand-drawn sketches by the witnesses, and official correspondence from the Deputy Commander for Operations of the 305th Bombardment Wing to the FTD at Wright-Patterson AFB.