Near Tripoli, Libya being encounter — October 23, 1954

Carmelo Papotto, a 29-year-old Italian farmer born near Catania and working at the Onorato property near Ain Zara, south of Tripoli, Libya, reportedly saw a complex object descend near him on October 23, 1954, at approximately 3 a.m. The fuller HUMCAT and Magonia-derived descriptions compare it to an egg-shaped machine with wheels, projecting equipment, and a brightly illuminated transparent upper section. Papotto described several human-looking occupants in yellowish coveralls and face coverings, apparently occupied with instruments. He said that touching part of the object produced an electric shock and that an occupant gestured for him to keep back. He reportedly remained able to watch for roughly twenty minutes. The description is more elaborate than the short Hatch abstract, which lists tubes, antennas, a ladder, and portholes without a complete sequence. The source trail leads to Jacques Vallée's Passport to Magonia, case 303, and the HUMCAT index. Giuseppe Stilo’s CISU research also compares the original Corriere di Tripoli reports, recovered by Edoardo Russo, which described a compact, streamlined machine and a wholly human-looking crew. These are compiled accounts rather than an independently recorded demonstration of the equipment. The illustration depicts the farmer observing from a safe distance, with the machine and figures reconstructed and no shock or injury shown.