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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.
“ball lightning”16 pages
d. Intensive investigations produced information not generally given by newspapers and other media previously. For example: it was pitch dark, rain and mist was falling, a very low ceiling existed, there were lightning discharges, and the sightings took place near an area where excess gases from oil operations were being burned. In some instances, faulty ignition systems and near freezing temperatures were found during the investigations. e. A number of the observers interviewed admitted the presence of lightning or flashes of light. The prine source could not be located for interview and interrogations by USAF investigators. f. After exhaustive studies and analyses by the Air Force, and in full collaboration with outside scientists and experts, it was concluded that the sighting was due to a very rare lightning phenomenon - ball lightning. No definite conclusion has been reached regarding the possible effects of ball lightning on ignition systems. (All agreed that the combination of conditions existing in the area at the time were definitely conducive to the phenomenon. A study of the very few existing photographs of actual ball lightning further confirmed the conclusion.)
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