Alley Springs radar-visual unidentified-object report — August 1966

On or during August 1966, at or near Alley Springs, Missouri, United States, the source reports the following sequence: OCR Text: LEGEND • WEATHER BUREAU FLIGHT BALLOON • WEATHER BUREAU PILOT BALLOON AND RADAR • AIR FORCE FLIGHT BALLOONS • AIR FORCE RADAR TRACKED AT HI SPEED • MANY SMALL BALLOONS • MANY BRIGHT OBJECTS • MANY SMALL LIGHTS FEDERAL AVIATION AGENCY ROUTE SLIP TO: TEPFER MEMPHIS ARTC CENTER FAA FORM 241-17 (PREVIOUS EDITION) DATE: 9/9/66 FOR: Wright-Patterson AFB X For Your Request For Your Information For Our Concurrence For Approval Discuss With Me For Your Approval REMARKS: MEMPHIS ARTC CENTER FAA FORM 241-17 (PREVIOUS EDITION) (1360) The text in the document is as follows: RECORD OF VISIT [ ] CONFERENCE OR [ ] TELEPHONE CALL SUBJECT: Balloon MR. INFO 2AF BAR KSDALE AFB LA AND 2227 - SUBJ:UFO REPT - REFERENCE: PARA 7, TAR 2002-2 PARA MACALPHA: (1) LARGE BALL (1) SHAPE WAS ROUND. (2) SIZE APPROXIMATELY THAT OF A MARBLE. (3) COLOR WAS SILVER CHANGING TO ORANGE. (4) NO NUMBER WAS ONE. (5) MBAL (6) OBJECT WAS OBSERVED BEFORE NOON CAME UP. PARA 1RCBAR0D : (1) OBSERVERS ATTENTION WAS ATTRACTED BECAUSE PAGE 2 RUGHIU 1317 UNCILAS OTHER PEOPLE IN THE AREA WERE LOOKING AT THE OBJECT. (2) OBJECT FIRST OBSERVED AT AN ANGLE OF APPROXIMATELY 25 DEGREES ABOVE THE HORIZON ON TO THE SOUTHEAST OF OBSERVER'S POSITION. (3) OBJECT DISAPPEARED AT APPROXIMATELY THE SAME ANGLE. (4) OBJECT MOVED FROM EAST TO WEST. (5) OBJECT WAS VISIBLE APPROXIMATELY ONE AND ONE-HALF HOURS. 0-3090 UNCLASSIFIED U.F.O POST OFFICE IN ALLEY SPRING, ADDRESS UNKNOWN, ALSO SAW THE OBJECT AT THE SAME TIME AS DO MANY OTHERS. CAPT HERRIG ADVISES THAT HE SAW THE BALLOON AT THIS TIME. AN EXAMINATION OF CAPT HERRIG'S FLIGHT ROUTE INDICATES THAT HIS AIR CRAFT TURNED SOUTHWARD AT THE ST LOUIS VORTAC AT 3100Z AUG WAS ABEAM AND APPROXIMATELY 10 MI TO THE WEST OF THE FARMINGTON, MOVORTAC ON A TRUE HEADING OF 176 DEGREES AND AN ALTITUDE OF 37, 000 FT AT 3100Z2 AUG. MAJ GODFREY FURTHER ADVISES THAT AT 0100Z SEP HE OBSERVED A WEATHER BALLOON FROM A POSITION APPROX IMATELY HALF WAY BETWEEN MEMPHIS, TENN AND B.YTEVILLE ARK. Here is the text extracted from the document: UNCLASSIFIED DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE STAFF MESSAGE BRANCH INCOMING MESSAGE AF IN: 10707 (8 Sept 66) Pg 5 of 6 THAT THE BALLOON HAS BEEN REPORTED IN THE AREA APPROXIMATELY 10 DAYS, THAT THE ALTITUDE VARIES BETWEEN 40 AND 69 THOUSAND FT. THAT THE DIAMETER IS APPROXIMATELY 500 FT AND THE KBOKA RADIO STATION IN KENNETT, MO, HAD REPORTED A WEATHER BALLOON IN THE AREA. PAGE 5 RUKGHU 1317 UNCLAS THE MOST LOGICAL EXPLANATION OF THE CAUSE OF THIS SIGHTING IS THAT THE OBSERVER SAW THE LARGE WEATHER BALLOON WHICH REPORTEDLY HAS BEEN DRIFTING IN THE AREA FOR APPROXIMATELY 10 DAYS. SEVERAL OFFICERS HAVE REPORTED SEEING THE BALLOON, THE 8-52 WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN UNDER OBSERVATION FOR THE LENGTH OF TIME REPORTED BY THE OBSERVER AND UNQUESTIONABLY WAS TOO FAR AWAY AND TOO HIGH TO BE OBSERVED. IT WILL BE NOTED THAT THE OBSERVER REPORTED THAT THE OBJECT WAS FIRST OBSERVED AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES BEFORE SUNSET AND WAS IN VIEW FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE AND ONE-HALF HOURS BUT DISAPPEARED WHEN THE SUN WENT DOWN.