(S.3-5 von 127, ufo11.pdf, www.fbi.gov) http://foia.fbi.gov/ufo/ HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES AIR FORCE WASHINGTON File No: (24-8)-28 25 May 1950 SUBJECT: Summary of Observations of Aerial Phenomena in the New Mexico Area, December 1948 - May 1950 TO: Brigadier General Joseph F. Carroll Director of Special Investigations Headquarters USAF Washington 25, D. C. 1. In a liaison meeting woth other military and government intel- ligence and investigative agencies in December 1948, it was determined that the frequency of unexplained aerial phenomena in the New Mexico area was such that an organized plan of reporting these observations should be undertaken. The organization and physical location of units of this Dis- trict were most suitable for collecting these data, therefore, since December 1948, this District has assumed the responsibility for collect- ing and reporting basic information with respect to aerial phenomena occurring in this general area. These reports have been distributed to the Air Material Command, USAF, in accordance with Air Intelligence Requirements Ho. 4, and to other interested military and government agencies. 2. There is attached, as a part of this summary, a compilation of aerial phenomena sightings that have occurred mostly in the New Mexico area and have been reported by this District Office subsequent to December 1948. This compilation of sightings is not a complete record of all reported observations, but includes only these in which sufficient information was available to justify their inclusion. The observers of these phenomena include scientists, Special Agents of the Office of Special Investigations (IG) USAF, airline pilots, military pilots, Los Alamos Security Inspectors, military personnel, and many other persons of various occupation whose reliability is not questioned. This com- pilation sets forth the most important characteristics with respect to each observation and evaluates each sighting into one of three classifi- cations, (1) green fireball phenomenon, (2) disc or variation, and (3) probably meteoric. 3. There is also attached an analysis of the green fireball occurrences in this area mady by Dr. Lincoln LaPaz. Dr. LaPaz is the ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- File No: (24-8)-28 Subj: Summary of Observations of Aerial Phenomena in the New Mexico Area, December 1948 - May 1950 25 May 1950 Director of the Institute of Meteoritics and Head of the Department of Mathematics and Astronomy at the University of New Mexico. He was Re- search Mathematician at the New Mexico Proving Grounds under an OSRD appointment in 1943 and 1944, and Technical Director of the Operations Analysis Section, Headquarters, Second Air Force, 1944-45. Since 1948, Dr. LaPaz has served on a voluntary basis as consultant for this Dis- trict in connection with the green fireball investigations. 4. On 17 February 1949 and again on 14 October 1949, conferences were held at Los Alamos, New Mexico, for the purpose of discussing the green fireball phenomena. Representatives of the following organizations were present at these meetings: Fourth Army, Armed Forces Special Wea- pons Project, University of New Mexico, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U. S. Atomic Energy Commission, University of California, U. S. Air Force Scientific Advisory Board, Geophysical Research Division Air Material Command USAF, and the Office of Special Investigations (IG) USAF. A logical explanation was not preffered with respect to the origin of the green fireballs. It was, however, generally concluded that the pheno- mena existed and that they should be studied scientifically until these occurrences have been satisfactorily explained. Further, that the continued occurrence of unexplained phenomena of this nature in the vicinity of sensitive installations is cause for concern. 5. The Geophysical Research Division, Air Material Command, Cambridge, Massachusetts, has recently let a contract to Land-Air, Inc., Holloman AFB, Alamogordo, New Mexico, for a limited scientific study of green fireballs. The results of this scientific approach to the problem will undoubtedly be of great value in determining the origin of these phenomena. 6. This summary of observations of aerial phenomena has been prepared for the purpose of re-emphasizing and reiterating the fact that phenomena have continously occurred in the New Mexico skies during the past 18 months and are continuing to occur, and, secondly, that these phenomena are occurring in the vicinity of sensitive mili- tary government installations. { signed } 4 Incls DOYLE REES 1. Summary of Sightings Lt Colonel, USAF 2. Photo of Sighting No. 175 District Commander w/comments 3. Ltr fr Dr. LaPaz to Lt Col Rees, dtd 23 May 50 4. Graph indicating maximums 2 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subj: Summary of Observations of Aerial Phenomena in the New Mexico Area, December 1948 - May 1950 25 May 1950 DISTRIBUTION: 6 cys, Director of Special Investigations, Headquarters USAF 1 cy, CG, Air Material Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio ATTN: Director of Technical Intelligence 1 cy, CG, Special Weapons Command, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico 1 cy, CG, Armed Services Special Weapons Project, Sandia Base, New Mexico. ATTN: J-2 1 cy, CG, Headquarters, Fourth Army, Ft. Sam Houston, Texas ATTN: AC of S, G-2 1 cy, CO, Holloman AFB, New Mexico 1 cy, C0, Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories, Cambridge, Mass. 1 cy, Director, Security Division, U. S. Atomic Energy Commission, Los Alamos, New Mexico. ATTN: Mr. D. O. Wells 1 cy, Federal Bureau of Investigation, El Paso, Texas 1 cy, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Albuquerque, New Mexico 1 cy, Air Force Scientific Advisory Board, Pentagon Building ATTN: Dr. Joseph Kaplan. 1 cy, Research and Development Board, Pentagon Building ATTN: Dr. H. E. Landsberg, Executive Director, Committee on Geophysics and Geography 1 cy, File 3 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Daniel G. -- Just the Cases - UFO sightings database http://cs.tu-berlin.de/~thomasg/ufodb.htm