[ILLEGIBLE], November 1958November 1958

In early November 1958, military observers near Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota witnessed an unusual nighttime event. The main report describes two distinct phenomena: a bright green explosion with a ragged, round appearance, followed by a small silver object about the size of a pinhead that moved rapidly toward the explosion site from approximately ten to fifteen miles to the north.

The explosion occurred around 2001 hours on November 3, 1958, and produced smoke that dissipated quickly. The silver object moved at an extremely high speed toward the blast site and then disappeared rapidly to the southeast. The witnesses heard a loud noise associated with the event. The sighting lasted roughly one minute.

The initial report also noted two different descriptions from different witnesses: one described a pencil shaped object, and another described an object that was long and narrow with a green color and yellow tail, trailing material similar to flare debris with large pieces falling away.

Air Force investigators checked for several conventional explanations. They inquired whether a balloon had been launched north of Minot and whether any explosive operations were occurring in the area east of the city. The preliminary investigation found no cause for the sighting within the investigators' capability to determine. Follow up checks yielded no information suggesting any balloon launch or other known activity that might explain the event. The file does not state a final conclusion.

The full case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives, comprising 13 pages.