Project 10073 Record Card — Tripoli, Libya, August 1958

This document is a Project 10073 record card and associated teletype correspondence regarding a series of sightings reported in Tripoli, Libya, on August 6 and 7, 1958. Two observers, identified as a Technical Sergeant and a Master Sergeant, reported seeing a blue to bluish-red flash of light, approximately two feet across, which illuminated the surrounding area briefly. The sightings occurred between 1915Z and 1830Z on both dates. The observers were positioned on adjacent balconies of second-story apartments separated by a high wall. They reported that the object moved in a straight and level path toward the south, with a duration of approximately two seconds. Despite significant local jet traffic, no noise was associated with the phenomenon. Captain B. K. Herbruck, the Director of Intelligence for the 7272D Air Base Wing, noted that the sightings were made independently. The official conclusion categorized the event as a meteor, noting that the description and duration were consistent with such a phenomenon. Investigators also considered the possibility of an optical illusion caused by a significant temperature inversion present in the atmosphere at the time, which extended from the surface to an altitude of approximately 1200 to 1400 feet. The report explicitly states there was no evidence of searchlight or ceilometer activity in the area. A handwritten annotation on the final page of the document offers an alternative hypothesis, suggesting that the light may have been caused by someone in a nearby apartment taking flash photographs, which the observers witnessed without realizing the source. The document includes detailed weather data for the period, confirming clear skies and specific wind conditions, and notes that personnel in the area were being questioned to determine if further investigation was warranted.