Unidentified Flying Object Sighted Detroit, Michigan 2150 hours, 18 July 1958

This report, dated 31 July 1958, details a sighting of an unidentified flying object over Detroit, Michigan, on the evening of 18 July 1958. Three brothers, aged 14, 16, and 19, observed a round, light gray object for approximately 15 to 25 minutes. The witnesses described the object as being about the size of a dime held at arm's length, featuring two lights on one side. The object was first spotted at a 45-degree angle in the sky, moving in a northerly direction before passing overhead and swinging toward the west-southwest, eventually disappearing behind clouds. The witnesses reported no sound or other discernible features. The investigation was conducted by the 25th District Office of Special Investigations (OSI) at Selfridge Air Force Base. During the interview process, the 16-year-old witness expressed skepticism that the object could have been a weather balloon, citing his physics textbook as a reference for what such balloons look like. However, the investigating officer, Lt. Col. B. E. Prater, noted that the witness's account was vague and confusing, and that the witness had a strong interest in military life. The official conclusion reached by the Air Force was that the sighting was likely a balloon observation. The report was submitted to the Air Technical Intelligence Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in accordance with AFR 200-2.