UFO sighted by five pilots in Joliet

Summary

A large brilliant white object was observed by five commercial airline pilots over Joliet, Illinois, on November 23, 1957. The object, which appeared orange when passing behind thin clouds, was seen for five minutes and showed a straight course when moving, though it seemed to hover at times. The crew detected it both visually and via radar, and although it initially raised questions, investigators concluded it was likely a balloon. A balloon had been released in Moline, Illinois, around the time the sighting occurred, supporting this theory.