Wichita, KansasFebruary 1954

Insufficient Data

Summary

On February 8, 1954, a civilian woman in Wichita, Kansas reported a drifting object. The sighting began at 1620 local time and lasted about four and a half minutes. She watched the object through 7 by 50 power binoculars.

The object appeared to drift slowly toward the south southeast at an estimated altitude of about 10,000 feet and a low speed. The center looked very high, narrow, and dark, with slightly curved edges. Through the binoculars it took up about two thirds of the view and was estimated to be very large. It left no trail, made no sound, and had no visible means of power. It was first seen at about a 40 degree angle and disappeared over a garage top at about a 20 degree angle.

Winds aloft at the time were strong, around 29 to 46 knots at the heights involved. The report was filed under Project 10073, the Air Force's official record for unidentified flying object reports. The Air Force concluded the object was probably a balloon.

Reported location

Wichita, Kansas

Date of incident

February 1954

State / country

KS / US

Page count

3 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unknown

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 20

Original case file scans

Original case file · scanned by NARAPage 1 of 3

View transcribed text

ry ru WADA on 1 ROA 1 5 TNA ee rl cpm
‘ 3 :
RY 4
1
\ , PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD |
I. DATE | 2. LOCATON 12. CONCLUSIONS
R . 0 Woes Ball
8 Fed 54 Wichita, Kansas ax Probably Balloon j
3. DATE-TIME GROUP 4. TYPE CF OBSERVATION AN Ween 1
O Was Aircraft
Loco! *¥ Ground- Visual O Ground-Radar 5 Probobly Aircroft
GMT ghL16207 OAs Visual 0 Air-Intercept Radar 0 Possibly Aircraft
5 4.500 0 Wes A omical
OVYes 01 Probghly Astranemical
a Ne 0 Posdibly Astronomical
[RET pp ee re Cp pT ey A
7. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION 8. NUMBER BJECTS | 9. COURSE CARE SRN LO DYER WSL a A f
0 Insufficient Data for Evaluation 3
b3 minutes one SSE 3 Unknown 1
10. BRIEP SUMMARY OF SIGHTING pia Cr CR REARS p
found drifting object, estimate at 10,000 LAL Lani 1
f2et, low speed, drifting slowly, no trail or :
noise. Initiai observation at 4) deg elev.
Disappeared from view at 2X) {-u ~iey hayond \
garage top.
ATIC FORM 329 (REV 26 SRP $2) Eu 4
SN.
: pa
:

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Source: National Archives Catalog · NAID 28957516