Lakota, ND: Crescent object with exhaust tail
On January 18, 1960, two drivers near Lakota, North Dakota, observed their headlights dim amid a bright green sky flash, spotting a small crescent-shaped object with a long exhaust in a nearby field.
Background
Witnesses and Event
Leo Haley and Bert C. Baker were driving at 22:45 on US Highway 2, about 14 kilometres west of Lakota, North Dakota. Their headlights suddenly dimmed while an intense green flash of light lit up the sky.
Sighting of the Object
In a field north of the road, some 1.6 kilometres away, an object appeared in the shape of a crescent, 1.5 to 1.8 metres high with an exhaust trail of 2.7 metres. It gave the impression of falling or landing.
Sources and Significance
Reported in the Grand Forks Herald (January 21, 1960, p. 5) and in UFO documentation (UFOEv p. 75; Schopick p. 69). The event suggests a possible crash and fits the reports of physical effects such as interference with lighting.