Project Blue Book Case File
W Of N. Africa, May 1958May 1958
Summary
A ship west of North Africa reported seeing an unusual object moving across the sky on May 30, 1958 (local time). The object was moving westward and appeared to be shooting flame and white smoke, giving the impression it was falling or in trouble.
Based on the sparse information in the file, an Air Force intelligence officer noted that a jet aircraft conducting a training maneuver known as "torching" was considered the most likely explanation. Torching happens when a military jet dumps fuel into its exhaust to create a bright flame and smoke trail, sometimes used as a test or during certain flight operations. However, the officer also acknowledged that Soviet aircraft or missile activity seemed unlikely, and that without more detailed information, a reliable evaluation of the report could not be made.
The case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives across 29 pages.
Reported location
W Of N. Africa, May 1958
Date of incident
May 1958
State / country
? / XX
Page count
29 scanned pages
USAF evaluation
unknown
Microfilm
T1206, Roll 33