UFO seen over Great Falls Montana in 1961

Summary

In March 1961, a witness in Great Falls, Montana, observed a luminous phenomenon in the sky that lasted about 5 to 10 seconds. The object was not seen directly, but a bright green burst was followed by a white trail descending in a straight line. The trail briefly stopped before resuming its fall, disappearing behind a cloud bank. Although the event was short, the trail remained visible for at least 10 minutes. The witness, a 27-year-old woman, described it as resembling a "go/no go flare," though no actual flare occurred.

Analysts at the time considered several possibilities, including meteors, fireballs, or even the reentry of a space vehicle. However, no contrail levels or other signs of conventional aerial activity were recorded. The interruption of the trail and the description of the initial burst pointed to a high-altitude object, supporting the hypothesis of a meteor or celestial body. Despite correlations with other sightings in the area, no definitive conclusion was reached. The case was filed as insufficient for evaluation, but remains an interesting example of how UFO sightings were documented in the 1960s.