[ILLEGIBLE], [ILLEGIBLE] - Incident Number: 184Date unknown

On October 20, 1948, multiple observers across Minneapolis, Winona, and Britton, South Dakota reported seeing a bright object with a burning tail moving rapidly through the early morning sky. The sighting occurred around 0550 hours (5:50 a.m.). In Minneapolis, two witnesses at separate locations saw an orange flame-colored object approximately six feet in diameter with a tail about one-third again as long as the main body. The object was moving from south-southwest to north-northeast in a level flight path at an estimated altitude of 5,000 to 10,000 feet. Witnesses said the object traveled at roughly three times the speed of a jet aircraft. They described the front as blurred as if "enveloped in gross," while the rear glowed bright orange. A trail of flame extended behind the object at varying distances, sometimes breaking off vertically before becoming indistinguishable.

Similar reports came from Winona, Minnesota, and near Britton, South Dakota. A Northwest Airlines pilot from Seattle also reported seeing a red ball of fire moving from south to north. A University of Minnesota astronomy professor suggested it might be a balloon, though some observers believed the object was traveling too fast to be conventional aircraft.

The Air Force checked the sighting against routine weather balloon ascents conducted by military and civilian agencies. An undated Air Force analysis noted that while the description sounded like a burning pilot balloon sounding with lantern, the nearest recorded release had occurred two hours earlier at St. Cloud. The analysis concluded that a leaky balloon kept at low altitude was possible but improbable. The file indicates that witnesses were reluctant to testify further, limiting additional investigation.

The full case file of 27 pages is reproduced below as held by the National Archives.