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This 81-page Project Blue Book case file covers the Levelland, Texas sightings of the night of 2 to 3 November 1957. It holds the record card, Air Force teletype reports from the 1006th AISS and radar units, witness questionnaires, press clippings about the White Sands sightings, and analyst memos. Several witnesses said a bluish-white oval object stopped their car engines. The Air Force concluded the cause was ball lightning in stormy weather, with wet or faulty ignition systems explaining the engine failures.
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Analyst's Comments or Conclusions: ## "Ball Lightning" a. Ball lightning can take many unusual or weird spherical or elliptical shapes. 1. In the opinion of the undersigned, after careful search, study, and consideration of all data available, the phenomenon was undoubtedly related to the meteorological conditions that existed in the area at that time: fog, light rain, mist, very low ceiling (400 feet) and lightning discharges. The latter were definitely established through the results of numerous investigative reports. 2. Probably contributing to the phenomenon were the oil fires that were also burning in the vicinity. An oil- saturated mist is capable of producing a "fluorescent glow" (as described) upon excitation from a lightning discharge. 3. In summation, all of the above were conducive to a "ball lightning" manifestation -- a field, of which very little is known by admission of writers and authorities themselves (Dr. John Trombridge, Enclop. Am.; Prof. T. A. Blair, Univ. of Nebraska, Weather Elements, among others). 4. All are in agreement, however, of the following, which, significantly, are the almost exact characteristics and descriptions of the "Levelland phenomena": b. It is predominantly brilliant blue-or bluish-white in color. c. It can float slowly some distance above the ground. 5. The close proximity of ball lightning or lightning discharges is capable of ionizing the air that may, in turn, effect moisture-laden ignition components of a motor vehicle. George T. Nagyany Capt. G T. Gregory 3 Jan 1958 Please also submit this to the Secretary of the House of Commons for his intersentive review and comment - a special honour, see 5 Week Letter . Must to ATC sentiments for their compendium . BITG . Marp and also some USDA sentimental Kapital's work in this field - just received on 37 Trans Coatl
Document, cited by the archive. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. The text was read from the page images by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word. 82 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.