PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD 2. LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS . 0 Was Balloon 0 Probably Bolloon 3. OATETIME GROUP .._ TYPE OF OBSERVATION Possibly Balloon Local fJ GntUf\d-VIsual 0 GroundRodor 0 Was Ahcroft Probably Aircraft GMT 18L0122Z 0 AI.-VI su ttl 0 Air-Intercept Radar 0 Po ui bly AI rcroh Was Astronomical Probably Astronomical Possibly Astronomical 7. LENGTH OF.OBSERVATION I. NUMBER OP' OBJECTS 15 sec obj Insufficient Data for Evqluatlon 1 mjn :tz:ail 10. BRIEP' sUMMARY OF SIGHTING 11. COMMENTS One fast moving soundless obj vas observed to Obj has allcharacteristics and per- explode in the sky. Obj seemed to change formances of a meteor. It is felt that colors from white to red to blue. time of observation was slightly overestimated. ASTRO (Meteor Sighting) ATIC PORM 329 (REV 26 III!:P 52) (CLASSIFICATION) APPROVED I JUNE 19~8 AIR INTELLiGENCE INFORMATION REPORT REPORT NO.. Det. 2, 4602d AISS COi.l~i'TS o Preparing Officer: lo In the opinion o-r the Preparing Officer, thi3 sighting \laB caused by a mateo::ite for the following reasonss ao The direation of the sigi.lting fr01!1 the various reporting po.ints ~11 vootor in tow;.aod3 the Humbolt-~eatrice area. The reporting times are all 1-dthin .... .-~he margin of h'lllll.:.n error, thus they may be considered the same. Th~ descriptions ar~ simil1ar in content. Thus H. can be reasonably assumed that all three sources saw the sams objsot and that it iG the objoot Dr. C. B. Schultz investigatodo b. The three actual sources all to one degree or another, suggested by thamsalvos tha.t t h e object t.za.s a meteorite . Co The descr1.1ons or the object, t.ogother \Jith its short observation \ period and its eha.re.otoristic dcnmuard trajectory suggests it \Jas a materoite o~ unusual size. d. Tho co!lactiva professional opinion of Dr. Schultz, Professor Collins o.nd Dr. Lir,coln La Paz is not to be taken ligl:tl~. '.i'hit3 ls especial~ true \/he~ . supported by tho actual sources plus the circurn.sto.nces surrounding the object. e. The faot th."lt the Red Oak and Kanso.s City observera thought the object burnoo out, ,.,.bile in ~ebraska they believed i t struck the earth c an be azpla.ined,. There is a haze which is knmm t o affaot obsorvations near the ho::.izon as i s tY'~ioaJ. with the "loss" of stars near the horizon on even clero" nights. Since the bor:taon is relat iv.;, t o t:1o o"ooerver, when the met.corito went past the horizon it 'tio\lld look to the e astern observers E.S though it suddenly grew ~ and than blackened out' Yet to tho vest tho :netdori te did not go paut the horizon and through t he h2.ze, t!r.J.Sl the obs<aZvers there sav a di!'erent view. ... Kansas City, Tho possibilit.y of ~ aircrc.ft crash wns investigatcdo The C.U a~ l1issour1 had no -word of err;r creshs in the area in q,uestion. \ g. Tho' ene .faa.ture of the sighting '\-:hich is unucual to the 1~--:na.n is the brightileas of the object and tha reparted eA-plosion at i1mnoolt, Nebras~. Tiowever Dr. Sehul.tz \las not suprised at the occtll'rence of an explosion nor the greater than average illuminationo C.J.ot a i n COMMENTS of Approving Officer: Concur with the opinion of the Preparing Officer that the sighting describsd in the above report was caused by a meteorite. It is the further opinion of this he~d- ' qu,crrt.a.L'"S th:lt \,!le !"'3C~orita l..J?.3 of 'boli<.l':3 -':.fP':i> 8.CCOUnti:::l,5 fort:~ r.!:C'?l03.!.oa >.):t.t--:i i:t Humbolt, ~!ebraska. . AF PORM. 112-PARlll AFPAOVEO I JUI'\E 19.18 FROM (Agencv) 4602d AISS l]NQW.S lF.IEJ.L.D _ (CLASSIFICATION) AIR INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION REPORT REPORT NO. D2-UFOB-J-55 JOHN M WHITE Colonel, USAF Comman der stjC:IJNG 1I ( Tv ::JE.t:::i<!CO~ii:R 1\DC Ef'!T 1~ F::-COLO RJED:~F/C0~DR CADF GRANDVI AF~ ~0 RJ~:Lr~G;COi'!DR .31ST Ai:I V ~T PAUL 11I~lN '!HITE RED A,rr'' G COLORS UP AND DISAPPEAR~D RED Of\;( IA. Of r-rrn-r. ~'lJ-r .. r, L . .!.~ T L T ZAR CONTR OLLI:::R ON DUTY. AF FORM 112-PART 11 U!iC:U\SS !Ft:;.:'~IF~:D! (CLASSiACATION) 'APPROVED 1 JUNE 1948 AIR INTELLtGENC.E INFORMATION REPORT RtPORT NO. Deto 2, 4602d AISS I. SOURCEc O:cupationt High School student Educatiana loth grade Qualif'icetionsJ Substitute GOO o!lserver vith little traini.ngo . II. REAI.TABILl::tY: Sot4'ee vas sincere a.nd did not appear to exegerate. He vas interested in reporting "just the acts" end wou:J,d not. give opinions o:f lJhich he was not 100% certain. Ill. SOURCE'S DESCRIPTION OF SIGHTING: The lone object appeared suddonJ in the SW and glawed "like a sky rocket you see on the 4th o:f July" for about fii'teen seconds. While it had no particular shape, it \ms about the size of an automobile headlieht. The source thought the object vas about one block away f:rom him.. The path traveled by the Sighting '-taS almost straight dO\InWP.rd towards the earth. ' Tho object changed colors fran blue to uhite to rea and then seemed to sloY!y' burn itselt auto At first it appeared solid but later tmned trans~ent. There 'Were scattered clouds, maJ'lY stars and a slight bree2 when the incident occured at 19:22 CST, according to the source. ( 18/0122Z Dec 55 ) : . Source called hi~ GOC filter center and reported the object. No photographs vera takeno If it were not for the size of the object and its appearent nearness, source stated the sighting might have been a: f!llling star. Source stateel that his m.,theJ; \tho ws on duty -with him, description. agreed uith his PPROVEO I JUNE 1940 RED OAK, IO.~A, USA Detachment 2, 4602d AISS DATE OF REPORT I. CmiTENTSJ PART ONE: Dosoription of sighting b7 Mr. Iowa. Oecupation, high school student, age 15, on duty o.s relief GC:C obsarvar to~i his mother. No special training for this work. PART T/JOa o~arator, Kansas Doscription of sighting by Mr. City, Hissouri Hunicipal A1 rporto PART THREEa Description of sighting by Oapto.in , control totler Kansas City, lssouri. Occupation, c~eroial pilot uith Dranift International Airways, and a former profe~sor of physi~, Univeraity of Iowa. PART FOURs SupplEr.t~ntary Investigatbre Efforts PIIRT FIVEc Carnmenta of Preparing Officor IIo SUHHARYc An un.tdontified flyin~ object uas sighted b7 an observar o.t the GOO poat in Red Oak, Iowa (GEOO.EF FJJ<}1 46J'l)_, by an air control to,.ror amplcrJe& at Kansas City, l1.1ssouri Municipal Airport (GECREF FJU 24917) and by tha pilot of a Braniff International Airways flight fl7ing ovar Kansas City, }ttssouri (GEOREF FJL~ 254). Object appGnred to be or the fire ball typ~, initially obsorved at 18/0122Z Dec 55, and lasted for about fift~en S9conds. The foll -up investigation consisted of a thorouGh interview b'J phone with the thr~ o.bove memtioned persons and a check with other knoulodgeable sourcss oonnooted with this sighting. III. D lVTIGATCRSs CAn. IWlS BISCHOFS AO 784842 2d Lt TED W. \.JUERTID~ER A 3049482 HANS BISCHOF'S C1pta'tn USAF DISTRIBUTIO~ BY ORIGINATOR D/1, USAFi Comdr, ATIC; D/I, 20th ADiv; D/I, 31st ADiv; Comdr, 4602d A.ISS; OIC, Det 2, - -- '~.-~,.....,.,,.. Tuc-"-'TI()N41 n~I'FNC:F OF THE UNITED ST-.TES WlniiN THE MEANING OF THE ESPIO;-;AGE ACT. 50 U S. C.- AF FORM 112-PART II IDICI.ASSIF u:n (CUSSIFICATION) APPROVED I J UNE I~ AIR INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION REPORT REPORT 110. Det. 2, 4602d AISS I. SOORCE: Kansas City, l.ftssouri Agea Adult C:Caupation1 CAA control tower operator llo RELIADILITYs Source offered little information on his ow, answered only the questions put directly to b..im. Investigators contacted him since he ...:as the source for nn article which appeared in the Kansas City Star of 18 December 55. Son.rce vas friendly and sesned sincere. lli. SOURCE'S DE3CRn>TION OF SIGHTING: Object .flared up in the Wl-Til of the tower about 18/0l29Z Dec 55o It was of unusual brightness , yet source t ook it for gr~mted that the sighting \las a falling stnr. It seened to him that it burned out before reaching the surface or the earth. Source turned in no report of the incident, but did talk about it with "several" air line pilots regarding it's unu.sal brightnesso Source stated the object fell almost st.Taight dowo AF FORM 112-PART II IINCitASSIEIED (Cl..ASSIFlCATIOH) APPROVED I JUNE 1948 AIR INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION REPORT FROM (.Age'ltCf) RIOPORT NO. Part. Three I o S OURCE: Captain ~ . -Y\Snsas City, !11ssouri Age: Adult Cbcupatio!l: Captain with Braniff International Airlines Edu c!ltion:. College graduatea Taught peysios at the University of Iowa for a psriod of tirneo I!o RELIABU.ITY: The investigators 1Jere not able to re~h the Captain himself as he was out of th~ state on business. However his co-pilot, , who was flying vith the-Captain related the inoident to the :lnvestiga The co-pilot ha.d token informsl n otes or the avento lli. SOURCE S DESC~Iml OF SIG.HTDIG: While flying at about J,OOO feet t'O m:llos south of the Kansas City Hu.njcipal Airport, a large greenish colored appeared to th9 WNW at 18/0128Z Dec 55. !Atring the first instant the s~Jrce state~ tha t they had a tendency ~o duck as the object seemed so near. Ho"'ever the source quickly realized that the s ighting -was soma dista nce al-lay. H.a than informed the passengers of the o)ject. The soUl'ce tJatchecl the object ror about 10 seconds and told the co-pilot that it was a "nickl.e meteorite" because of its greenish CE.st. The object appeared to burn itself out before reaching the groundo Upon l anding the tYo flyers who had seen it fram the ground. talked about the unusa.l s i ghting to their .friends AF FORM 112-PART II APPROVED I JUNE 1948 IDlCT.ASS!FIED (Cl.ASSIFICAnON) AIR INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION REPORT FRO~.: (.t!Jtll<'l/) Dat. 2, 4602d AJSS REI'ORT NO. D2-UFOB-J-55 . SuPP.LE:OOITARY !~\VTi'..STIGATIIJE EFFORTS: 1. A call to the University of Ka.naa.s at Kansas City, Knnsa3 revealed that this in:.1titut1on had no astrona.nEU .. and that no information relative to tha unknown could be obtuined from this SO\.trce. . -. 2o The Y').(lllSas. City Weather Bureau b.e.d no infarmq,tion on the object. The veather as or 18/0l30Z Deo 55 far the aroos 'Where sightings took place was as folloYs 1 a. Ka.nsas City, Nissouri. Cloon; Visibility, 12 rdles; Temperature, 200; De'bl Point, u .. o; ar.d \lind, ~1 at 7 knots. b. Q'IDha, Nebraska (GBCREF FJRM 517), (nearest 'Woothor to Red Calc, Ioua). Calling, ],4,000 acettered; Visibility, 9 r.dles; Tem;>e:rature, 140; Dew Point, So; n!'.d Wind, .mm at 4 lmots. .3. The F:cy-4...ng Safety O!'tice of the, CAA had no inf0l'Illat1on on the l.tnknOllln 4o A call_ 't-m.s tlado to t h e Knnsa5 City Star to ind out the so..ll'Ce of their (, brief story or 18 Dacembor 55 stating that a meteorite had bean seon over the nreao The intastig3.tors laarned that tho "Star" had roceiv~d its story .from a ltr. Carroll White at tha .Control To r nt the Hun~cipa.l Airport 5. A e ::>r..tact ld. th the 1-h.micipal Airport gs.ve us CAA employoo, Nr. \ih i t a who hud seen th~ object and became anbthsr source, but he could not positively identify tho object \lhich he hn.d sGen. . 6. By follo$g a loori mentioned 1n the 'I'T flo0r.1 31st AD (Dar). contact uas r..w.de l>!ith Captain and his doscription or the sighting. 7. Again by chasing down a le:1d from the T'l' from 31st .AD (Dei"), contact was m:1de via \.elsphone \lith the city editor or the I.incoln Nebraska Journo.l of Lincoln, r~ebraolco. (GEOHEF FJJ'L 2'49) o It had b ean reported that "loud to moderate explosions" w~o heard in conjunction with the sighting. The pap-er informed the investigators that such noises Yere reported by an unknovm ra.Uroad ye.rdnan of the Burlington Une 'W-orking at Humbolt, Nobraska (G.EOREF FJKL 31.). The paper revealed further that n Dr. c. B. Schultz of the University of lTebraska 'Was t-torking on the subjeot tmd w1s a knowledgaabla person in this .field. 8 . Telephona, contact t:a.s established vTitn Dr. Schult~, \oih9 is the Di:c'ector of the University of f.Tobraska l-1tlsmxm at IJncoln. Ho stated th::~.t frO!:t nl l report5 ~thich he reesived,~ and from consultations t.Jith Prof93sor Collins of th.D.t scho~l Astronoey dopart,ment, and the noted meteor~o:\:Pert Dr. Lincoln La Pez of Ne\r Hexico, thc.t the three of them had decided the object t.nls d efinitoly a :rn.etaorita. T!::.oy further beliovod that ito taU exploded nenr Humbolt, Hebro.o!~a, but tha :tain part unknotm o)ject they uare t-7or!dng vith u as o the same description ns tha ono rop~rted from Knnsas Clty, 'Hissou.ri and from Rad Oak, !O"..Ia. T'.ne tiu o or OCCttr:mce coincided 'With the other reoorts \1ithin a eu I!linutes . Dr. Schultz 'WHS sure th.~t bo~h he and ourselves uere talking or the sane object.