Sweet Springs, MissouriFebruary 1958

On the afternoon of February 19, 1958, a civilian observer near Sweet Springs, Missouri noticed a moving light in the sky around 4:00 p.m. He watched an object that he estimated to be about 20 feet long and 4 to 5 feet in diameter, with a bullet-shaped nose. The object was silver in color and trailed grey smoke with a red flame coming from its tail. The observer first thought it might be a meteor, then briefly considered it might be an airplane without wings. The entire sighting lasted about two seconds.

The object was traveling from southeast to northwest at an angle of roughly 50 degrees above the ground. Suddenly, there was a large puff of white smoke, and a piece of the object broke off and flew to the right. After this apparent explosion, the object dropped straight down toward the earth without tumbling or spinning. The observer heard no sound throughout the sighting. He immediately drove to the area where he believed the object had landed but found nothing. He later reported the sighting to a state trooper around 7:30 p.m. that evening.

Air Force investigators from Whiteman Air Force Base conducted interviews with the observer, the state trooper, and local neighbors. All sources confirmed the observer's account and described him as reliable and of good character. The Air Force conducted a ground search and one-hour aerial reconnaissance of the area on February 23 and 24, 1958, with negative results. The observer later reported finding a hole in the ice of a small pond in the logical landing area, but Air Force investigation of the pond revealed nothing. The Flying Safety Office, the Civil Aeronautics Authority, and weather officials all reported no missing aircraft or aircraft parts in the area on that date.

The Air Force's official evaluation of this case was "unknown." The complete case file, comprising 11 pages, is reproduced below as held by the National Archives.