Type: Report
Source: United States Air Force
The Preliminary Report documents the initial United States Air Force investigation into the unidentified aerial phenomenon reported at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, on October 24, 1968. Prepared shortly after the incident, the report summarizes the first available information gathered from military personnel, including witness statements, radar observations, and operational details surrounding the event.
The report covers multiple observations made by personnel associated with Minot AFB, including members of a B-52H Stratofortress bomber crew and personnel stationed at Minuteman missile facilities. It records the sequence of events, locations involved, reported object characteristics, and the actions taken by Air Force personnel in response to the sightings.
The Preliminary Report served as an early investigative record before the completion of the more extensive Project Blue Book case evaluation. It formed part of the official Air Force documentation used to assess the credibility of witness reports, examine available radar information, and determine whether the incident could be explained through conventional causes.
The document is significant because it represents one of the earliest contemporaneous records of the Minot AFB incident, capturing information collected while the event was still recent and before later analysis, interviews, and historical research expanded the case record.
[Source: United States Air Force / Project Blue Book investigation records – Minot Air Force Base UFO Incident, 1968.]