Forbes AFB, KansasJanuary 1961

On the night of January 30 and 31, 1961, observers at three Air Force bases and a civilian in Missouri reported seeing bright, fast-moving objects streak across the sky. The sightings happened over the course of several hours across north-central Kansas and Missouri, from Forbes Air Force Base to McConnell Air Force Base to Kirksville.

At Forbes AFB, Kansas, on January 24 (according to some records dated January 30-31 in the OCR), two military observers watched an object appear 90 degrees above the horizon in the southwest, moving eastward. Sergeant J.D. Bourgeois and Airman Leo Hackworth described it as round, about the size of a quarter held at arm's length, and white or blue-green before turning red just before it burned out. The object resembled a large flare and lasted 10 to 12 seconds before flaring out and disappearing at a lower angle.

At McConnell AFB, Kansas, around the same time, two control tower operators, Airmen Harold Talley and Donald Barone, saw a second object. They described it as shapeless, about the size of a dime, with a faint short tail. It appeared green then brilliant white, lasted about three seconds, and faded out near the horizon. A radar station nicknamed "Footpad" may have picked up a return around the same time.

At Kirksville Air Force Station in Missouri, a third observer, identified in the file as a civilian cab driver, watched a bright ball appear over a building. The object started 15 degrees above the ground horizon in the southwest, shrank from the size of a softball as it climbed, then disappeared at a 45-degree angle. This sighting lasted 30 to 60 seconds. The observer noted the object seemed to glide in a slight arc at moderate speed.

The Air Force investigation noted that numerous similar reports came in from across north-central and northeastern Kansas, Missouri, and southern Iowa on the same night. Weather conditions were clear with good visibility at all locations. The Intelligence Division at Forbes AFB and a Kansas City astronomer both concluded the sightings were most likely meteors, probably from an active meteor shower. The descriptions, the fading glow before disappearance, and the swift downward motion all fit meteor behavior. However, the Air Force's formal evaluation listed the Forbes AFB sighting as "unidentified," even while attributing it to a probable meteor. The file notes some inconsistency in the duration witnesses reported, but says the appearance and behavior matched a meteor event.

The complete case file, including witness statements, weather data, and analysis, is reproduced below as held by the National Archives in 10 scanned pages.