Project Blue Book Case File
Soap Lake, WashingtonOctober 1958
Summary
On October 22, 1958, a civilian in Soap Lake, Washington, reported a falling object in the sky. The witness worked as a factory service attendant.
The object was round and reddish-orange, about the size of a basketball. It looked like a falling star that then exploded, giving off a reddish-orange glare that lit up the area. It left a white smoke trail after the explosion and made a sound somewhat like thunder. It fell in a small arc toward the ground from about 45 degrees elevation, then disappeared. It was reported visible for several minutes.
The weather was clear. The intelligence officer noted the source had limited powers of observation and seemed to want attention, which may have led to exaggeration. The Air Force concluded the object was astronomical, stating it was probably a meteorite.
Reported location
Soap Lake, Washington
Date of incident
October 1958
State / country
WA / US
Page count
5 scanned pages
USAF evaluation
unknown
Microfilm
T1206, Roll 34