PROJECT i0073 RECORD CARD CONCLUSIONS Be"twc~e 11 Was Balloon J.1>7ibbottroP. Probably Balloon Possiill y Balloon OATE TIME CROUP TYPE OF OSSERVATIOH 0: Ground Vi suol 0 G round-Radar Was Ai r c roft I 0'{ P robobl y Ai rcroh 0 Air-Vi suo I 0 A i r- In tercept Radar 0 Possibly Aircraft Was Astronomi col P robobl y Astronomical Po ssi bl y A s tronomi col L EI'ICTH OF OBSERVATION HUMBER OF OBJECTS In sufli cienr Data for Evaluation BRIEF SUMMARY OF SICHTIHG Probaul ,. Con1:r a1.l rf-?~rees, 9r'e lred -vhea1 'oy Cor. tra: 1 CJ. f t e rward s . estimate d G~l un.:..t t }13. t the A't'tC !'ORM Jl9 (ltSV : 6 S U S2) , INTELLIGENCE ~OIU.'JDtnl FOR: ASSIST..:UiT CHIEF CF STAFF., INTBLLIGENCE, USAF ld'TIDJTICN: Forsign Liaison Branob SUBJECT: Report on Observation of Phenomenon Tbe attached letter from the Australian Joint Service Staft dated 28 April 1958~ file 28/1/47 ~ with "Report on Observation ot Phenomenon" inclosed* ia forwarded tor your infor:nation and retention. FOR )'HE ASSISTANT CHIEF OF STAFF* INTELLIGENCEs j Colonel. GS / Foreign Liaison Of~ioe :UNCLASSIF1ED Foreign Liaison Office,-. . Office of the Assistant Chief Intelligence, Dep&rtment of the The Pentagon, . WASBIIDTON 25, D.C. REPORT ON OBSERVATION OF PF.Jnl()}1ENON ~closed herewith for your infon'<\..,~on a nd retention is a report by a ship's master on a phenomenon observed during a passage from Port ~ineoln (South Australia) to Melbourne, Victoria. A.M.N. Rodul:f"o, Generaystaff (Intelli~en ce) ilJl'1CL~.SS!FIED f n PJ.ssag'3 Port Lincoln to (felbourn~ Observers:- .ieatber: Via Backstairs PJ.saag~. Ri='PORT 0'1 OBS~VATION OF PH?:~JOME?Tml Second Officer Position:-Lat. , Chief E:1gineer Fifth Engineer 9 . 5 Knots. South. Forc e 2 . Bar. 29- 9 8" llr. Tamo. 78. Sea. TeDm .. 64. - Refnction: Abnonnal. Cloud. Alto Cun:ulus 2/8. Height. Vi. si bill ty. Plus Thirty miles. 1 0 , COO feet. At 14~0 hrs. G.'i~. T . Sth. E.e~ry 1958 vlll.lst in the above ':)OSition a contrail \laS otserved to for:n at acout 51.1 r1egrees altitude and cearing 290 de~rees from the shi:J. The contrail develooed ra-oidly passed ov-er the vessels zenitb and faded out at about 40 degrees a.ltitu.-:9 and be~ril'l_g 110 degrees aga i n re:forn:ed a t about 30 dogrees and finally rlisa-opeared at ab altitude of about 15 degi i::es :m the same bearing , and in The contrail .. a-p~areri .t o or iginate from sou:e fas t moving body nne the height wa"Sest-L~ted at :>lus 50,000 f eet. The contrail remained '4,:3_-lQ!-a rQ!"_: so~ _tbirt ru:ol~T"'gradually dis?Srsing vi th the efluxion of ti;:e, it '..las white in colour. ' I , 2 . rockets ~LITbg l9LJ... second officer likaned the contrail to the trails launched having observed such launchings f~om the Abnorual refnction '.tlls n oted a t the tin:e of' obse~tion, the .. s . "La:<e 4vra" boum on an O!JiOsita course Jas first obse~-1 .,rell below the ::o:-izon ::?.~ the irr.a~ of tr.is vessel '>ll'i3 seen to b e in~rten. Later as t-.to ir::"l~es, g:-adually f:ading as the vessel came buJ] up on the horizon.