What did the declassified documents reveal?

COLD OPEN. This is a declassified United States Air Force incident report titled “xxxx xx 7204214 Winona Mississippi,” dated sixteenth April, nineteen sixty‑eight. The document is notable because it records an eyewitness description of an unidentified aerial phenomenon that was submitted to the Air Force’s Project Blue Book program. PROVENANCE. The report was released to the public through The Black Vault digital archive, reference number xxxx‑xx‑7204214, with the full text available at archive dot org slash download slash xxxx‑xx‑7204214‑Winona‑Mississippi slash xxxx‑xx‑7204214‑Winona‑Mississippidjvu.txt. The material was declassified by the United States Air Force under its standard declassification authority for historical records. THE DOCUMENT. The report begins with a header indicating the record number and location: “LCCATION IN Mississippi.” The observer’s account follows. The observer reported to the duty officer at the V‑P Air Force Base that she had seen a “yellowish‑green, bright white light that was about the size of the evening star.” She noted that the light was “about the size of the evening star” and described it as a “bright white” phenomenon. The observer was asked to complete an Air Force Form one‑one‑seven, which she returned on twelve August, nineteen sixty‑three, describing the sighting as “more profound.” The same observer also reported a sighting on sixteenth April, nineteen sixty‑eight. The report includes a series of structured questions intended to capture details of the sighting. The form asks for the date, hour, and minutes of the first and last observations, the type of illumination present, and a description of the sky conditions. It requests the observer to indicate whether the phenomenon was observed in daylight, at night, or under twilight, and to note any accompanying celestial bodies such as the moon or stars. The witness is instructed to describe the color, shape, and apparent motion of the object, to compare it with known objects such as stars, aircraft, or other lights, and to indicate whether the object appeared solid, transparent, or self‑luminous. Further sections of the form ask the observer to sketch the position of the phenomenon relative to the horizon, to mark its apparent height above the horizon, and to indicate any movement—straight, curved, or erratic. The questionnaire also inquires about the observer’s own motion, whether they were in a vehicle, aircraft, or stationary, and the speed at which they were traveling at the time of the sighting. Additional environmental data are requested, including cloud type—cumulus, stratus, nimbus, or other—and any precipitation such as rain, hail, or snow. The report concludes with a series of checkboxes for the observer to indicate whether any aircraft were observed in the vicinity of the phenomenon, and if so, to describe their relative position and timing. The form also asks the observer to note any other phenomena observed concurrently, to estimate the…

Why was this case declassified?

This material was released by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. The originating source document is linked on this page so the citation chain is auditable.

Declassified Case File

◆ BLUF — The short version

COLD OPEN. This is a declassified United States Air Force incident report titled “xxxx xx 7204214 Winona Mississippi,” dated sixteenth April, nineteen sixty‑eight. The document is notable because it records an eyewitness description of an unidentified aerial phenomenon that was submitted to the Air Force’s Project Blue Book program.

Agency: Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
Date: JUL 18 · 2026
Release: Declassified · U.S. public record (FOIA)
Source document: View the primary source document

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What was Declassified Case File about?: COLD OPEN. This is a declassified United States Air Force incident report titled “xxxx xx 7204214 Winona Mississippi,” dated sixteenth April, nineteen sixty‑eight. The document is notable because it records an eyewitness description of an unidentified aerial phenomenon that was submitted to the Air Force’s Project Blue Book program.
Why was this case declassified?: This material was released by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. The originating source document is linked in the case notes above so the citation chain is fully auditable.

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