Document · 24 October 1968
Project Blue Book case file: Minot AFB, North Dakota, October 1968
The Project Blue Book file on the night of 24 October 1968 at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, when missile-site maintenance and security personnel reported a bright light near a launch facility and a B-52 crew tracked an unidentified radar return that paced their bomber, photographing the radar scope. The file contains the record card, memos of telephone conversations between Blue Book and the base investigator, witness questionnaires, the B-52's radio transcript and analysis notes. Witness names are largely blanked in the release. Our copy was assembled from NARA's page images; the OCR text is imperfect.
Sources: National Archives, Project Blue Book (NARA ID 302580672)
Facts and claims
- documented The Project Blue Book record card lists Minot AFB, 24 October 1968 (05:30Z), military sources, air-radar, air-visual and ground-visual observations lasting about four hours. Conclusions: ground-visual "Probable (AIRCRAFT)(B-52)" and "Probable Astro (SIRIUS)"; radar "Possible (PLASMA)"; air-visual "Possible (PLASMA)". Source: doc-bluebook-minot-1968.pdf
- documented The card's comment: the ground sightings appear to be the star Sirius and the B-52 flying in the area; the B-52's radar contact and temporary loss of UHF transmission "could be attributed to plasma, similar to ball lightning"; and the air-visual sighting could be the star Vega on the horizon, a light on the ground, or possibly a plasma. Source: doc-bluebook-minot-1968.pdf
- documented A memo for the record summarises the B-52 crew's report: at about 03:00, some 39 miles northwest of Minot while making practice penetrations, they saw an unidentified blip on radar travelling at roughly 3,000 mph. It took station off the left wing for about 20 miles before breaking off, scope photographs were taken, and neither of the two transmitters worked properly while the target was close. Source: doc-bluebook-minot-1968.pdf
- documented An FTD radar specialist consulted for the file suggested that an ionised air plasma similar to ball lightning could account for the radar blip, the loss of transmission and some of the visual sightings. Source: doc-bluebook-minot-1968.pdf
Connected files
Programs
- Project Blue Book (case file of)
Incidents
Mentioned in this file
- National Archives and Records Administration (Organization)
More documents
- Project Blue Book case file: Haneda AFB, Japan, August 1952
- Project Blue Book case files: Chorwon, Korea, May 1952
- Brazilian Air Defence Command report on the events of 19–20 May 1986 ("Official UFO Night")
- Spanish Air Force file 670603: aircraft and radar encounter over Montánchez, 3 June 1967
- 341st Strategic Missile Wing histories, January 1967 – March 1968 (Echo Flight incident), FOIA release
- Project Blue Book case file: Socorro, New Mexico, April 1964 (Lonnie Zamora)