Project 10073 Record Card: Sighting near Custer, South Dakota, 30 November 1954

This document comprises a Project 10073 record card and an associated military report regarding a sighting that occurred on 30 November 1954. Two Airmen Second Class from the 2029th Airways and Air Communications Service Squadron observed an object while located on Highway US 16, ten miles west of Custer, South Dakota. The witnesses described the object as a round, greenish-white fireball, roughly the size of a baseball when compared to the moon, featuring a trail of sparks and a tail approximately one hundred times the diameter of the fireball itself. The observation lasted for approximately three seconds. The witnesses reported that the object moved in a straight line with no maneuvers before passing below the horizon. Weather conditions were noted as clear with good visibility. The Operational Intelligence Branch evaluated the report and concluded that the observers had witnessed a meteor. The report further notes that while the witnesses were considered conscientious and helpful, they may have been unconsciously influenced by contemporary public requests for information regarding potential missile fragments. Additionally, the observers noted a bright display of northern lights during the event.