Rapid City, South DakotaAugust 1958

Insufficient Data

Summary

On August 4, 1958, several military observers at Rapid City, South Dakota, reported an unidentified flying object at 1624Z while watching aircraft. Witnesses, including housewives and a captain who was an electronic countermeasures operator, described one round or disc-shaped object the size of a basketball, white in color. One observer reported a halo effect around it. The object traveled straight and level, then disappeared instantly to the south. The sighting lasted 5 to 10 seconds.

Skies were clear. Six aircraft were flying in the local area, but observers were convinced the object was not an aircraft. They had hesitated to report it for fear of ridicule, and a balloon had been released from a nearby airport. The investigating officer, who had navigation training, suggested the sighting may have been a turning aircraft at a greater distance than estimated, with the sun in position to highlight the banking plane. The Air Force conclusion on the Project 10073 record card was possibly aircraft. Project 10073 was the Air Force's official record for unidentified flying object reports.

Reported location

Rapid City, South Dakota

Date of incident

August 1958

State / country

SD / US

Page count

5 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unknown

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 33

Original case file scans

Original case file · scanned by NARAPage 1 of 5

View transcribed text

- ~ ; x | |
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[
: . ¢ PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD :
1. DATE 2. LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS |
O Wes Balloon
4 August 195 O Probably Balloon
3. DATE-TIME GROUP 4 TYPE OF OBSERVATION TREY w—
0 Was Aircraft
: TPDUs imation y XEBround- Visual O Ground-Rodor D~Probobly Aircraft
omMt__04/16247Z 0 Air Visual QO Air-Intercept Rador O Possibly Aircraft
S. ‘PHOTOS «S : 1 Was Astronomical
QO Yes ‘4 - Probably Astronomical
No Mil METER © 10 Possibly Astronomical |
7. LENGTH OF.OBSERVATION 8. NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9. COURSE BE IE tiene
: 8 skid Date for Evaluation
5-10 secs one South eT
10. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING 11. COMMENTS |
Round or disc shaped obj, size of Possibly turning a/c with sun
basketball, white, One observer rptd in proper position to highlight
halo effect surrounding obj. Obj maneuver,
traveled straight & level & disappeare
instantaneously to south,
ATIC FORM 329 (REV 26 SEP 52)
» 1
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| | |
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; A |
3 i
GR fp EE eR a ELS Bl Eis ah EE ERR ER Ss allie ae Hi — : i yc

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Source: National Archives Catalog · NAID 28979216