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38_143685_box_Incident_Summaries_101-172

Each of these incident summaries includes a "Check-List - Unidentified Flying Objects" that contains details about the incident. Many summaries also include witness lists or statements and other narrative reports or descriptions.

War.gov PURSUEDepartment of WarRELEASE-01-FILE-026-38-143685-BOX-INCIDENT-SUMMARIES-101-1722026-05-08
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Pages
178
Claims
10
Backlinks
0
Signals
0

Document Intel

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Source
War.gov PURSUE
Type
Report
Classification
Unclassified
Agency
Department of War
Reference #
RELEASE-01-FILE-026-38-143685-BOX-INCIDENT-SUMMARIES-101-172
Published
2026-05-08
Content Type
application/pdf
Pages
178

Structured Analysis

Claims and source material extracted from the document text. Timeline context is surfaced in document intel.

AI deep ingest from War.gov PURSUE.
Claims
Reported by source10
Source reportedAsserted

Oscar Monnig offers tangible proof that the fireball of February 18 over northern Kansas was a meteor.

Oscar Monnig, of the Tex.s Observers, Amateur Astronomy, 1010 Morningside Drive, Ft. Worth, “ffers "tangible proof that the fireball of February 18 over narthern Kansas was just that, inasmuch as meteorites © have been recovered from it."

Source reportedObserved

Meteorites were recovered from the February 18 incident.

There were found, beginning April 2), first several smaller fragments up to one of 1/2 pounds. Then a disturbed spot in a clover field led to the digging up of a piece of some 109 pounds embedded about two feet in the soil.

Source reportedObserved

The stone recovered from the February 18 incident is an achondrite.

The stone is what is termed as an "aehondrite", a technical name for an unusual type of stony meteorite.

Source reportedObserved

A photograph of the meteor trail was made by Duane W. Wray.

A photograph of the trail of the meteor, made by amateur photographer Duane W, Wray of Norton, shows the vapor trail left in the sky by the explosion of a meteor.

Source reportedObserved

The explosion of the meteor was seen in multiple states.

It was made at Wray's home, nine miles north of Norton, just four minutes after the meteor exploded. A smuige of blue-white smoke remained in the sky for an hour February 18th.

Source reportedAsserted

Leland Sammons witnessed an object hovering above his house on February 18.

On February 18 at about 5 P.M., I was standing near my hog=pen about 100! east of my house, when I heard the pheasants raising a disturbance and the chickens all rushed to the chicken-house. I looked around toward the house to see what was causing it and saw something hovering just above the house.

Source reportedAsserted

Kenneth Hays identified the object as a rocket.

Kenneth “ays, son of Floyd Hays, 1 miles east of Norton on US 36, at the Jct. of K-60, south side of highway. At about 5 to 5:30 P.M., not sure of time, was riding his horse in a pasture, when ‘he heard something queer in the sky, Looking up to the south-west, he saw what appeared to him to be a rocket.

Source reportedAsserted

Ralph New observed a blinding flash and a high cloud of smoke.

Ralph New, postmaster at Norcatur, stated that at about 14:50 P.M, he was standing just inside the front window of the postoffice in Norcatur, when he observed a blinding flash as if someone had taken a flashlight picture.

Source reportedAsserted

The explosion near Norcatur, Kansas, was not explained by astronomers.

Information contained in the dispatch under a Denver dateline indicate that while many would call this object a bolide - e.g., exploding meteor - the astronomers of Chamberlin Observatory (Denver) did not so assess it: it is said in the dispatch that these officials could offer no explanation of it.

Source reportedAsserted

Dr. Lincoln LaPaz believes the Norcatur incident was a genuine meteorite fall.

As regards the Norcatur, Kansas incident, I remain convinced that, like the Four Corners incident, it was a genuine meteorite fall, although one of exceptional size.

Timeline

Chronology extracted from the document text.

April 2

Recovery of meteorite fragments

Several smaller fragments of the meteor were recovered, leading to the discovery of a larger piece.

18 February 1948

Meteor explosion over Norcatur, Kansas

A meteor exploded over Norcatur, Kansas, leaving a vapor trail and causing a series of explosions.

Source material
Photograph of vapor trail
imagePrimary
Incident #101
Testimony of Leland Sammons
testimonyPrimary
Testimony of Kenneth Hays
testimonyPrimary
Testimony of Ralph New
testimonyPrimary
Letter from Dr. Lincoln LaPaz
documentPrimary

Referenced In Coverage

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