Hanna City AFS, IllinoisApril 1961

Insufficient Data

Summary

On April 21, 1961, radar operators at Hanna City Air Force Station, Illinois, tracked an object about 2 miles west of Hanna City. The radar contact lasted about 3 hours and 4 minutes near dusk, ending around 7:30 p.m. (GMT). The object was first seen at very high altitude, near 97,000 feet, and made a nearly straight down descent before fading from the radar scope.

Two enlisted radar operators reported the contact. Heavy winds, rain showers, and thunderstorms were forecast for the area. A small movement of the antenna would cause the object to disappear from the scope, which suggested it had a small reflecting surface.

Radar analysts believed the object was a balloon. The Air Force noted that the speed, rate of descent, and apparent size all pointed to a balloon. The heavy look of the target might come from low inflation or a heavier than normal load of instruments. The case was evaluated as a balloon.

Reported location

Hanna City AFS, Illinois

Date of incident

April 1961

State / country

IL / US

Page count

5 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unknown

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 42

Original case file scans

Original case file · scanned by NARAPage 1 of 5

View transcribed text

PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD
BATE ———————————————————— —————————————————————
1. DATE 2 LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS
0 Apr 61 tanna City AFS, Illinois 2 Was Balloon
Probably Balloon
3. DATE-TIME GROUP 4. TYPE OF OBSERVATION 0 Possibly Selleen
1320 E YX O Was Aircraft
Local ST pm O Ground- Visual ‘© Ground-Radar 0 Probably Alvovah
OMT. = Vs Ee aa 0 AirVisual O Air-Intercept Radar O Possibly Aircrofy
5. PHOTOS x « SOURCE O Was Astronomical
0 Yes es O Probably Astronomical
X iditary 0 Possibly Astronomical
No
EP emp gre Tr rr a Be ANE Se ASA ER SR
7. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION 8. NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9. COURSE AER ER mE A tr
O Insufficient Data for Evaluation
“1 bis "ne aril 0 Unknown
i LI TY .~ . |
10. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING [1 COMMENTS :
lect at very hi Ltitude picke D on | Radar analyvists velieved obiect to be
3» ; » 3° 3 fF at )7 It On oallil0o0N, L 1€ >anav ior of Thi Larcert
ps WG Span b| . we 3 Lsappesr ] Ry i ’ MA | \ S Of Ly ws - dS 3CENN TL. ad raens
EY 4 on heading of (35 zeg,| size of target) all point 40 this
Jescent 2 s TI Er “100, LONLICLUS Ne NAVY aApuvearanc CeLlnN= u
to 2ither low inflation or nezvy loig
of the instrument package,
|
ATIC FORM 329 (REV 26 SEP 52)

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Source: National Archives Catalog · NAID 28992152