La Crosse, WisconsinJanuary 1959

Unidentified

Summary

On January 18, 1959 (reported as around 6 a.m. on January 13, 1959, in news accounts), witnesses in and near La Crosse, Wisconsin, reported a fast moving light in the sky. Many people over a fairly large area saw it. A newspaper editor later wrote to the Air Force and enclosed a news clipping.

Witnesses described a bright flash of light flying at a high rate of speed, traveling from east to west. Several residents in West Salem and La Crosse saw it, and one said the light shone brightly into his car.

The Air Force found no record that the sighting had been formally reported. A check with radar and weather stations found no aircraft or balloon that would explain it, and local airport and aviation officials saw nothing unusual. The record card concluded the object was astronomical. Officials said that given the wide area and the description of a fast flying light, the object was considered a meteor.

Reported location

La Crosse, Wisconsin

Date of incident

January 1959

State / country

WI / US

Page count

5 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unidentified

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 35

Original case file scans

Original case file · scanned by NARAPage 1 of 5

View transcribed text

t sn El el Ee
§ I theta TTI — Stee Serre Pe——" on i RATE
: ll i PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD :
1. DATE 2. LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS
ODO Wes Balloon
18 Jan 59 La Crosse, Wisconsin | O Probably Balleon
3. DATE-TIME GROUP 4 TYPE OF OBSERVATION Q Possisly Balloon
1800 ¥ 0 Was Aircraft
Local T572h00% O<Ground- Visual 0 Ground-Radar Q Probably Airer oft
CBR eas ds SRO O Air Visuol O Air-Intercept Radar O Possibly Aireroft
S. P [ £3: Was Astronomical lleteor
0 Yes O Probably Astronomical
0 Ne Civilian ODO Possibly Astronomical
7. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION 8. NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9. COURSE AR RIAN
DO Insufficient Date for Evaluation
DO Unknown 2
not ' one West
D. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING 11. COMMENTS
Newspaper reported asked about sighting gpd In view of the wide area over
| enclosed clipping. Ilo case in file. Only which the obj was observed and the
information received was the clipping. Obj descrigpion of a fast flying light,
vas sighed by many witnesses ofer a fairly the obj is considered as a meteor,
large areca. Described as a [lash of
light flying at a high rate of sped/ |
|
|
ATIC PORM 339 (REV 26 SEP $2)
‘ /
.
Se hb RR REC PRE RE Ro ¢

/ 5

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Source: National Archives Catalog · NAID 28981753