FBI 62-HQ-83894 §6 — Mantell Death & Roswell Sighting Tables

Official title: 65_HS1-834228961_62-HQ-83894_Section_6
FBI PDF Partial
Incident date
N/A
Incident location
N/A
Released by DOW
5/8/26
Case ID
62-HQ-83894
Source URL
war.gov original ↗

Our research summary

Section 6 — large media-clipping-heavy section including the death of Capt. Thomas F. Mantell (1948 Kentucky chase), Roswell-area sighting summary tables, references to General Mills balloon explanations, and Kenneth Arnold's Boise origin of the 'flying saucer' term; covers the Mantell incident debate and skeptical Air Force responses.

📑 Source PDF 353.4 MB · 271 pages Open PDF ↗ Download

Prior disclosure: Partial

Section 6 of 62-HQ-83894 is on FBI Vault with prior redactions; the Mantell case and Roswell sighting tables are well known and partially redacted versions have circulated since 2011.

What was disclosed earlier

Prior-disclosure links

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2CENTERRE4C6ORDHSECAEDNQTURARLTE-R8F3BS8I94-H00Q62
                                             Guide, issued May 24, 2007.




                       2[HA4-68-3380914 6$is2~
                                                                           from FBI Automatic Declassification
                                                                                                                 3 2 =g 2 c 3 £ S z g £g s
STANDARD FORM No. 64




Ojfic‘@ Memorandum « vnitep states GOVERNMEI}T
TO                            0. ¥. Zadi .                                                   DATE: August 2}{(9@;;
FROM         :                A. H. Bel@??t                                                                                                2
SUBJECT:                      SUMMARY OF7AERIAL
                              PHENOMENA          IN NEW MEXICO
                              MISCELLANEOUS             -    INFORMATION CONCERNING



       PURPOSE                                                                                                                 3


                              To advise that:                    (1)     0SI has expressed concern in!{x                               )       L
     | connection                 with    the    continued             appearance      of    unexplained             phenémend
      | described             as    green fireballs,                   discs and meteors            in       the    vicinityleggfii(
        of       sensitive          installations                in    New Merico.  (2)             Dr.       LaPaz,          Meteor
       Ezpert           of    the    University             of    New Mexico,         reported          that       the    phenomena
       does        not       appear       to be    of meteoric ‘origin.            (3)             0SI has          contracted
       with        Land-Air          Inc.,       Alamogordo,            New Mexico, to             make       scientific                       -
        study of the unerplained phenomena.                                                                                        : %,M

      NATURE OF PHENOMENA

                              Observations        of aerial phenomena occurring within the
        vicinity             of    sensitive     installations have been recorded by the
       Air Force              since       December, 1948.   The phenomena have been
       classified                 into    3 general types which are identified as Sollows:


                              1.     Green fireballs,                   objects      moving    at       high       speed
        in       shapes       resembling          half moons,             circles      and    discs          emitting
       green           light.


                             2.      Discs,       round flat             shaped      objects       or phenomena
       moving          at fast           velocity       and      emitting       a    brilliant          white       light
       or        reflected          light.


                             3.      Meteors,          aerial         phenomena       resembling             meteoric
       material            moving         at    high    velocity         and    wvarying      in    color.


                             The    above       phenomena             have   been     reported          to    vary       in
       color from              brilliant          white       to      amber,    red and       green.

                             Since        1948,    approximately               150    observations             of    aerial
       phenomena             referred           to above         have    been       recorded       in    the       vicinity
       of        installations             in   New Mexico.              A   number     of   observations                 have
       been       reported           by    different          reliable         individuals         at        approxrimately
       the       same      time.


                                                         RECORDED - 2                                                AYe
      KWD/mp
                       T                                    INDEXED - 2                                                        (
RESULTS OF AN INQUIRY BY PROFESSOR LINCOLN LA PAZ


                Dr.       LaPaz,       Director,             Institute       of Meteoritics,
University       of New Mexico,                   submitted an analysis                    of the         various
observations          on May 23,             1950.           He   concluded,         as    a    result      of
his investigation, that approximately half of the phenomena
recorded were of meteoric  origin.  The other phenomena
commonly referred to as green fireballs                                      or discs he believed
to be U.S. guided missiles being tested                                      in the neighborhood
of the installations.   Dr. LaPaz pointed out that if he were
wrong in interpreting the phenomena as originating with U.S.
guided missiles that a systematic investigation of the obser=
vations should be made immediately.   Dr. LaPaz pointed out that
missiles moving with the velocities of the order of those
Sfound for the green fireballs and discs could travel from the
Ural    region       of    the    USSR       to   New Mexico            in    less       than    15 minutes.
He    suggested       that       the    observations               might      be    of    guided     missiles
launched from             bases    in    the       Urals.


                on    the    basis       of the          investigations              made       by Dr.      LaPaz
and    the Air       Force,       it    was       concluded         that      the    occurrence            of    the
unerplained phenomena                   in    the    vicinity           of    sensitive          installations
was a cause for concern.   The Air Force                                     entered into a contract
with Land-Air, Incorporated, Alamogordo,                                     New Mexico, for the
purpose of making scientific studies of the green fireballs and
discs.  It was pointed out in the summary furnished by 0SI on
July 19, 1950, that the unezplained green fireballs and discs
are    still    observed          in    the       vicinity         of   sensitive          military         and
Gopernment       installations.


RESULTS    OF AIR FORCE INVESTIGATION


             The Air Force together with Land-Air, Incorporated,
have    established a number of observation posts in the vicinity
of    Vaughn,    New Mexico,             for       the       purpose     of photographing                  and
determining          the    speed,       height          and      nature      of    the    unusual
phenomena       referred          to    as    green          fireballs        and    discs.          On   May 24,
1950,    personnel          of Land-Air,             Incorporated,                 sighted       8 to      10
objects    of aerial             phenomena.              A    24?;£ur        day    watch       is   being
maintained       and       has    been       designated
CONCLUSIONS


             The   Albuquerque      Office,      in    a    letter    dated August        10,
1950,    advised    that   there   have   been    no       new developments        in    connection
with the efforts to ascertain the identity of the strange aerial
phenomena referred to as green fireballs and discs.  The Albugquerque
O0ffice advised that Dr. Anthony 0. Mirarchi,                        Project Engineer,
had been informed of the Bureau$ jurisdiction                        relative to espionage
and   sabotage     and   arrangements     have    been       made    so   that   the    Bureau
will be promptly advised in the event additional information relative
to this project indicates any jurisdiction on the part of the
Bureau.


ACTION


          / None.        The above is for your information.



                                                              |
                                                             [
                                              September 8, 1950


                                                                    Pata)
                                                                    LW   ey




                               Director of Special Investigations
                               The Inspector General
                               Department of the Air Force
                               The Pentagon
                               Washington, D. C.


From:                          John Edgar Foover = Director, Federal Bureau of Investigstion

Subject:                       FLYING SAUCERS



                               There is attached hereto for your consideration and
attention a cony of a self-explanatory letter dated August 29, 1950,
received by this Bureau from Mr, Walter D. Jones, of 36 King Street East,
Toronto,                  Ontario, Canada,


                                For your information, the letter from Mr, Jones has be
acknowledged by this Bureau, and he has been informed his communication
has been referred to your Department,


        ]                                               APPROFPRIATE AGENCIES
     | A                                                AND FIELD OFFICES
At   tadiihn                                             ADVISED BY RCUZING

                                                                              E
                                                                          0}‘1,1 71
            'Y




                 ‘                                       DATE
             .




EHM:eas              _.
  STANDARD FORM No. 64



  |            *
a/ O]fice Mer, " ndum + uNiTED STATES GG
                     MR. A. H. BELMUNTQ               4
                                                                                               DATE: September 27, 1950
  FROM       :           MR, L. L. LAUGHETN                                                                          6/'/ b

  SUBJECT: wFL YING SAUCERS                                            ¥
                         SAC Cornelius          of Philadelphia                  called    at    10:45 AJM.
  today and stated                    that   yesterday evening while                      two    officers            of
  the Philadelphia Police Department were cruising                                              in their
  scout car they                 saw through the            windshield an object descending
  slowly         to the         earth    which appeared           at first              glance       to    be    a
  parachute.
                                                                                                                    A
                     When the officers first noticed the object,                                           it was af
  tree-top          level and was described as being six feet in                                           diameter
  It landed in a field near-=by and the officers, upon examining
  noted that it gave out a purplish glow which was almost a mist.
  The    officers summoned two                     other police             officers.           After       looking
  at the         object for some               time they attempted to pick                           it up. - The
  object broke,                 leaving @ slight            odorless             residue.        Over a period
  of about 25 minutes                    which the         officers          spent watching                the       object
  it completely disintegrated.                            The     officers further commented tha¥
  the    object           was    so    light    that when         it       hit    the field,          it    did       not
  even     bend          the weeds       or the     grass        it fell          on.

                         Mr,    Cornelius       said that he               has    called       the    local          offiee      &
  of the Air Force                    but the      individual with whom he                      spoke there saidi
  he knew nothing about them and was                               not       aware       that    his       office was
  looking into reports of this type.

                    .Mr,        Cornelius desired to know what further action shoul
  be    taken       by him.

                         I told Mr.          Cornelius      that he was correct                      in referring
  this matter to                 the    local      office    of 08I and that he                      should          direct
  a    letter       to     the Bureau          incorporating               all    available          information
  concerning              the    matter      and    that    we    here,          upon    its    receipt,             in   turn
  would       bring        it    to    the attention         of    O0SI      Headquarters.



  LLL:mer
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                                                                  /



                    ’EPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE| ‘
                    HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES AIR FORCE

                             WASHINGTON 25, D. C.




                               Authority:

                               NND 90986




cantents in cny =
                                                     bited   by low.*
W     0 o o, o4                  ‘                             ‘


Ofi&}'Memwandz;m « UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
TO       :        THE DIRECTOR                                 pATE:   October 9, 1950
                                                                                     Rl
         :        MR. D. M. LADD                                                     !

                                                                                l/
FROM

SUBJECT: O                         Q}//
                  FLYING SAUCERS ~
                  FLYING DISCS
                  GREEN FIREBALLS




     PURPOSE

               To advise you of the most recent information
                                                        lmown. to_the
     Bureau concerning the captioned aerial phenomena.

     BACKGROUND

               You will recall that on August 23, 1950, I furnished to you a
     memorandum regarding Project Twinkle set up by the Department of the
     Air Force, with the assistance of Land-Air, Ince., at Vaughn, New Mexico,
     for the purpose of obtaining data regarding these unusual aerial phenomena
     which had been seen in the vicinity of sensitive installations in New
     Mexico. To_date the Air Force has not advised us of any new developments
     in connection with this projecte.

               Dr. Anthony O. Mirarchi, Project Engineer of Project Twinkle, has
     been contacted by the Albuguerque Office and arrangements have been made in
     order that the Bureau will be advised in the event any information relative
     to these phenamena indicates any jurisdiction on the part of the Bureau.

                  According to Bureau files, an average of approximately three or
     four complaints have been received per month from June through Septefiber.
     These complaints were brought to the attention of 0SI. A review of Bureau files
     does not indicate that there has been any increase in the sightings of these
     phenomena during or as a result of the war in Korea.

     JURISDICTION FOR INVESTIGATION OF THESE PHENOMENA

               You will recall the investigation to cbtain information concerning
     these aerial phenomena is the jurisdiction of the Department of the Air Force.
     The Department of the Air Force is aware of owr jurisdiction in matters
     relating to espionage, sabotage and internal security, and we have contacted
     0SI.and requested them to advise us of any developments in connection with
     these phenomena which would be of interest to us as a result of owr
     Jurisdiction.



                                       b
                                   cCORDED - 105
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 POSSIBLE ORIGIN OF THESE AERIAL PHENOMENA

            The Bureau has been advised in the past by OSI that many of the
 sightings reported to them were determined by investigation to have been
 of weather balloons, falling stars, meteorological phenomena and other air-borne
 objects.

 INFORMATION OBTAINED BY BUREAU LIAISON IROM OSI, WASHINGTON, D. C.
           TIONED 1    :      C      9, 1950.

           Bureau liaison determined on the morning of October 9, 1950 from
 08I headquarters that the investigations of these aerial phencmena are being
/ifhandled by OSI, Wright Field, Ohio.   Their investigation of these
 phenomena fails to indicate that the sightings involved space ships or
 missiles from any other planet or country.

            According to 0SI, the complaints received by them have failed to
 indicate any definite pattern of activity. OSI further advised they are closely
 following the investigation of the captioned matters, and they will advise this
 Bureau of any matters of interest.

 ACTION

            None.   The above is for your information.
e   b                .                                 3

O]fice Memomndzmz e UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
     DIRECTCR, FBI                                      DATE:     October 2, 1950

     SAC, PHILADELPHTA            ATTENTION:   MR. IEO IAUGHLIN

     FLYING DISC REPORTED AT
     PHILADELPHIA ON 9/26/50

    0 FL"«           3     S Al      &
     Dur:mg ‘thelate ever‘mg hcu:('s of "September 26, 1950, two Phila-
     delphia police officers observed a peculiar phenomenon on Vare
     Boulevard near 26th Street when they saw a round object about
     six feet in circumference slowly float down to the ground.

     The object had the appearance of a parachute and landed in a field,
     it being so light it did not even depress the weeds in the field.
     The object was lavender in color, described by the officers as
     dewy, sort of like soap suds, and evaporating within fifteen or
     twenty minutes after it landed. When touched by the officers, the
     substance composing the object disappeared, leaving nothing but a
     slight sticky substance.


     This matter was reported to this office by the Philadelphia
     Police and for that matter, was subsequently carried in the
     Philadelphia press as "Flying Saucer Just Dissolves".

     ¥r. TAUGHLIN of the Bureau was telephonically advised of the above
     by this office and issued instructions that the matter should be
     referred to Air Force Intelligence for handling and any investigation.
     Accordingly, Major WATTS of the Philadelphia Office of OSI was
     telephonically advised of the above and no further action was taken
     by this     office.


     FNK /mmd,

     98-0
                             3



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     RE('!)QDED 1%


     !NDEX}D - 125   31

2y
                                        Ul      D STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTIC%
                                                 ERAL BUREAU OF   INVESTIGATION




               To:     COMMUNICATIONS        SECTION.
                                                                  OCTOBER 13, 1950    URGENT
               Transmit    the     following message    to:
                                                                  SAC, LO0S ANGELES

                         OFLYI}!G SAUCERS, YOU ARE INSTRUCTED TO DISCREETLY
                  DETERMINE THROUGHAPPROPRIATE RELIABLE SOURCES OF YOUR CFFICE
                                      €CULLY, AUTHOR OF THE BOOK QUOTE BEHIND THE FLYING

                  SAUCERS UNQUOTE IS IDENTICAL TO THE FRANK SCULLY WHO HAS BEEN
                  ACTIVELY EMCAGED IN COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES SINCE THE IATE NINETEEN
                  THIRTIES IN THE TERRITORY OF YOUR OFFICE.

                               :                              HOOVER
                     ERMsgna




 .   Tolson
x.   Clog




              1) SENT, VI4_

              NOV 23 1964
                                HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES      AIR    FORCE

                                               WASHINGTON




         DECLASSIFIED

            Authoriy:                                       774 DISTRICT OFFICE OF SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS
           NND 90986                                                  KINTLAND   AR   FORCE   BABE,   NEW   MEXICO




                                                                                                                     DR/ms


      File llo:         (24-8)-28                                                                      25 iay 1950


      SUBJECT:          Summary of Observations of\Aerial Phenomena in the New
                        Mexico Area, December 1948 = liay 1950


                        Brigadier General Joseph F, Carroll
                        Director of Special Investigations
                        Headquarters USAF
                        Washington 25, D, C,


           1.   In a liaison meeting with other military and government intel=
      ligence and investigative agencies in December 1948, it was d
      that the frequency of unexplained aerial phenomena in the New lexico area
      was such that an organized plan of reporting these observations should be
      undertaken. The orgenization 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 informetion with respect to aerial phenomena
       ocourring in this general area, These reports have been distributed to
       the Air Materiel Command, USAF, in accordence with Air Intelligence
       Requirements No, 4, and to other interested military end government
       agencies,


            2,   There is attached, as a part of this summary, & compilation of
       serial phenomena sightings that have occurred mostly in the New liexico
       area and have been reported by this District Office subsequent to
       Decenber 1948,         This compilation of sightings is not a complete record
       of all reported observations, but includes only those in which sufficient
       information was available to justify their inclusion,                           The observers of
       these phenomena include scientists, Special Agents of the Office of
       Special Investigetions (IG) USAF, airline pilots, military pilots, Los
       Alamos Security Inspectors, military personnel, and  many other persons
       of various occupations whose reliability is not questioned,                                    This com
    e /,pilation sets forth the most important characteristics with respect                                          %o
X     "ach observation and evaluates each sighting into one of three classifi-
     \eations, (1) green fireball phonomenon, (2) disc or veriation, and (3)                                              -


     Y \probebly meteorics                                                                             =             ”
                                            BEYED
                                                     g |    @
                                                                                          (o
             3,         There is also atiNBGA
                                            an anailjels BECOHS geen fireball
       occurrences in this area made by Dr. LinBol(LaPiz,'5Dr. LaPaz is the |



                                                                                                Vi
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 end Astronomy at the University of New loxico., He was Re=
search Mathematician at the New Mexico Proving Grounds under an OSRD
appointment in 1943 and 1944, and Technical Dircctor of the Operations
Analysis Section, Headguarters, 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 grecn fireball invostigationse

       4,     On 17 February 1949 and again on 14 October 1949, conferences
wore held et Los Alamos, New lioxico, for the purpose of discussing the
green fircball phenomena, Roprosentativos of the following organizations
were prosent at thesc mecbings: Fourth Army, Armed Forces Special Wea-
pons Projeot, Univorsity of Now Mexico, Fedoral Burcau of Imvest    tion,
U, S, Atomic Energy Commission, University of Celifornia, U, S. Air Force
Setentifio Advisory Board, Geophysical Research Division *Air Materiel
Commend USAF, and the Office of Special Investigaetions (IG) USAF.           A
logical explenation was not proffered with respect to the origin of the
groon fireballs,   It was, however, generally concluded that tho pheno-
mona existed and that they should be studied scientifically until these
occurrences have been satisfactorily expleineds Further, that the
continued occurrence of unexplained phenomena of this nature in the
vicinity of sensitive installations is cause for concern.

     5.   "The Goophysical Rescarch Division, Air lMatericl Command,
Cambridge, Massachusetts, has recently let a contract to Lend-Air, Inc.,
Holloman AFB, Alamogordo, New Mexico, for a limited scientific study of
green f‘u\,b“lls. The rfls\Alts of this scientific approach to the problem
will undoubtedly be of great value in determining the origin of these
phenomena.,


     6e   This summary of observations of serial phenomena has been
prepared for the purpose of re-emphasizing and reitercting the fact
that phenomena have continuously occurred in the New         kexico 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 and government installationse




                                                     )   e




4 Incls                                           DOY LE/REES
  1, Summary of Sightings                         Lt C¢lloncl,   USAF
  2, Photo of Sighting No,        175             District Commander
            w/comments
  3,   Ltr fr Dr, LaPaz to Lt Col
            Rees, dtd 28 May 50
                         7 me.ximums
                     g T
File No:      (24-8)-28
Subj:   Swmery of Observations of Aerial Phenomena in
        the New Mexico Area, December 1948 - lay 1950             25 May 1950


DISTRIBUTION :
  € cys, Director of Special Investigations, Headquarters USAT
  1oy0G5         hinlaberiel-C     xl[('lrd-‘l»-;ADn_M‘_B_,_Q“w

            M—WWMM&
  1 cy, CG, Special Weapons Command, Kirtland AFB, New
  1 cy, CG, Armed Services Special Weapons Project, Sandia Base,
            New Mexico.   ATTN:   J-2
  1-ey,-CG, HoadquartersyEourth-Army-,Ft.SemHouston,Texas
            AT   —AC oL S, G2
  1 ¢y, CO, Holloman AFB, New Mexico
  ;M%M,Ay—fieme-flwm ge Research-Laberetories,Cambridge, lasse
  1 cy, Director, Security Division, U. S, Atomc nnergy Commission,
        Los Alamcs New Mexico, AT       Mr, B,   Wells
  1 cy, Federal Buraau of Investigation, El 1’aso, Texas
  1 cy, rederal Bureau of Investmatlon Albuquerque, New Mexico
                     —Seientifie Advmew —Bourd 5Pentegon—Building
        *   ATIN¢   Dr, JoseptKaplam:
  1-cy;~Researoh-endDevelopment—Board; Fentegon-Building
            APFN-+—Dps—Hy—E.Landsberg;—Executive Director; Comnittee—on
                    Geophysies—and-Geography
  1 cy, File
                                                               ¢
                                   THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO
                                              ALBUQUERQUE




INSTITUTE OF METEORITICS




        To:     Lt. Colonel Doyle Rees, Commanding Officer
                17th District, 0. S. I.

        From:     Lincoln LaPaz, Director
                  Institute of leteoritics

         Subject: Anomalous Luminous Phenomene. (Seventh Report)

              1. Tn the second report of this    series, dated 1948, December 20, theon-
         writer listed ten significant diffe rences petween the bright green20,horiz
                                                                                 and
         tally-moving fireballs observed in the inter val 1948, Dece mber
         typical meteors.                          the following:
                              These differences were
                     (1) The horizontal nature of the paths of mos®
                fireballs is most unusual, GCenuine meteors are rare
                in horizontal paths.

                       (2) Again the very low height of the Decem
                                                                       the
                in section 2 above sets it off in sharp contrast from miles
                meteors for which heights of the order of 40 or more        are
                mally observed.

                     (3) The velocity determined for the fireball of December 12 is
                much less than the velocities determined from typical meteors s (and
                                                                                 or
                yet is considerably greater than the speeds of the V-2 Rocket
                 jet planes or of conventional flares),

                      (4) In the case of meteorites that penetrate12,to theas low levels
                 as that determined for the fireba ll  of  Decemb er           observed lu-
                 minous phenomena are always accor penied   by very   violen t noises. o
                 noises whatever have been obser ved  in  conne ction  with  the various
                                       far invest igated  .  (Note   added  on 1950, May
                 Docember fireballs so                                            are ¥
                 Possible exceptions to the noiselessness of green fireballs
                 incidents of 1949, January 30, and 1949, Decermber 4.)
                      (5) Genuine meteors ggormally show remarkable veriations in
                 brightness, beginning as Tine thin hair lines, which are scarcenear ly
                 visible to the observer, and     n bright  eni   up to flash  out
                 the end of their paths.      I     ase      he December fireballs      t
                 of the observers have reported  that   the green bells ej peared  almost
                 instantly at their full
        « Colonel Doyle Rees
        Anomalous Luminous             rheno:



           (6) In the c
        rd all   points
    in the    case of              >                                               approac


    tors show tha                 >             o1y   v       d   tendency for   the pa
    come   in from     the    nerth


           (7) The three groups of ano      v              lvninous
           a curious association     with w   liovm meteor   showers,
                    neteor     wers normally produce extremely bri
                        h as      these recently otserve                 example,
              mentioned by lir. llonnig appeare                          mezimum
                                  »f early Jenuary        r             sh's observati




           1 color repo:
                 in    the
                 color seems




             (10) For n
     a dust    cloud becn         reportcd
    havior noted        in   casc      of 1
    that penctrate           to
                              obse


                                                                        propered




statements
nemely, item (1).
green   Tircballs     have
              Colonel Doyle Rees                       -     Page
Subj:    Anomalous Luminous                           Phenomena (Seventh Report                         lay 23,


to move horizontally.                    However, & strictly vertical infall is
rarely observed in the case of genuine meteor falls.

     3,   An analysis just completed                                             time dist
fireballs so far observed permits us                                      to     en 11t
differences given in paragraph 1 above,
local time which accompanies the present report shows that
frequency of sighting of green firebells (occurring at approxi
2030) coincides in time with neither                                       the frequency max             for
meteors (occurring at approximately 0300) nor the frequency me
meteorite falls (occurring at approximately 1600).

        4     Inspection of the graph referred
show     that most of the green fireballs have
val extending from sbout 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.
might be even more pronounced if it were po
secondary maximum, around                                    n,    (¥ST), all
teen    mistekenly                  a
                           identified
tion has      occurred         is       stron
of the       secondary maximum
early morning       meximum of                   the ordinary


        5.           e                   3                        attach                 t     2t   T      tine interval
alluded ©                                                           from about 7     a.m. to                   in the Ural
region of the      . Since missiles moving with velocitics                                                     the
of those found for   e green fireballs          ch real p
have been possible would travel from  the southern Urals
less    than 15 minutes,                 a possible interpretation                      of the co:
sightings roferred to                    in paragraph
from guided missiles                    la        hed        from
hours before cloudin                         3          to convection                inding afternoon dust
storms con 11::rfern                                       ~radar tra               such as has been used by
the Opticel Trajectory                                       at Thite               Proving Ground.


         .      There is also a pronounced concentration of green fireball
incidents on the four days, Friday, Saturday, Sunday,     ndey, almost
all of the most widely hs; ved incidents   having occurrcd on Saturd:
or Sunday.

        7%       t   is a curious                 and         fairly well-established
has been a distinct decline                             in        the m         ofgre
during the        1a<t two months,
ing saucer" incidents in                         thi

                Although                              ecently        rc c:wcl from
               ¢ Advisory           B             a     le
                         any   U.       S,             eri

               \L’](‘ODJC'\V}LOYL&I          ob
Subj



consider               the   most        probable
one    given          in         the first of
from my       letter               of    1950,      February
pheric       Fhysics               Laboratory,
The    last two                  paragrarhs         quoted
concerning             the                    firebal


                                                                         down   the
                                                                         carefull




                             extraordinary
        under           intensive              investigation
        of    this               comprehensive             roview,
        cident of Februar                                    950,   I
              t       different               te     S     concer
        project                  than    I    had    in    mind
                                                              -
        brief,               I    have       come     to    the   conc
        evidence now                     available                                        recomiend=
        ing       a     fireball                                                      >roves   conclu-


        Those of




        the       sensitive                  install
        interpretation of


        conference                  on
        end       I doubt th
         lowever,                 even
        is    the            correct          one,
        it     should              refuse




                                    be
                             2
                             Recent

                  rative            necessit
               green              fireball
To
Subj:



        that Dr
        charge
        Crozicr,      of
        dust collcection and
        field surveys, I do not anticipate tith                  ground

        any   reccoveries,     5
                                   but in casc such ground scarch
                                                        g


        it    should be      carried    out   on the   scale   stressc
        with you end

        9.     Although       %
recomnmendations           cont:
sider    at
offer made at         th
to   serve,      if
sugeested in Major Oder's
with  the stipulation,                                                    voluntary @

rather then on the 040 per day con
                                                                Legend       |
                                                                 ' Meleorites
                                                                 [Meteors


                                                             o= Dyshs Tor |
<




                                                                     | Var/ations|
       3
     ons
           8




     N               GREEN *FIREBALL"

     g
     o
                 B
           TM»




     7]

     Q
     Q

     o
     Q
            s
Q@




      by
      Y
     Q


     =
      3

                                 ~,     o
                                  ~_    7

                     8   0 22 24 Z           4    6   8
                                  TIME      OF   SIGHTINGS
                      Sighting No,         175

Photograph of Unknown 4eriel Phenomena taken at Datil,
New Mexico by Cpl Lertis L, Stanfield, Holloman
                                                Air Force
Base,    New liexico on 24 and            25 Feb 1950,       An enalysis     of
the above photograph was made by Dr, Lincoln LaPaz,
                                                    Head
of the Institute of Wetecritics, University of
                                               New ilexico,
Albuguerque,        New liexico, who reached the following con-
clusions:


        a.    Tke angular diameter of the perfectly round
               luminous    object Stanfield            observed was   approx-
               imately 1/4 of a degree,

     b,       The angular velocity of the               object   in the sky
              Was   greater       than half a degree       per   minute.


Dr, LaPaz stated that                 on the basis of the results          (a)
and (b) above, the object seen by Stanfield
                                             was not the
moon (for the angular diesmeter is too small),
                                               it was not
Venus        or any other planet          (for the angular diameter was
too large), and it was not a bright fixe
                                        d star slightly-
out of focus         (for the observed rate of motion is double
that due to the diurnal rotation of
                                    the                     earth),

                       B      o   E   N   ke   S   4
 This image contains all the
information on the document.



                                                                                                                                                                  r Yorce Dase, New iexico




                                                                                                rioical




                                                                                                                                                                                            Apnerent
                         oE O
                                 Observers




                                                                                                                                 or




                                                                                                                                                                                            Speed
                                                                                                                                 Train

                                                                                                                                         Treil
                                                                                                    i
                          unib




                                                                                                    0
                                                          |-lmoss ver|         |      35°       b               [orilli- |
                                                          tical des- |             ilox.                         an®     i
                                                           cont   Tol=
                                                           lovied By
                                                           "Soune


                                                                                                                                                                                           Descending
                                                                                                                                                                                           slouly
                                                                                                                                                                         vasketballl

                                                                                                                                                                                       i
                                                                                                                                                                                       i




                                              <    uer-

                                             que, How
                                             llexico




                                                Ln
                                             North D
                                                   Pow=                  5iz       Hori.    .             son                i                   i                         Softba
                                                                                                                                                                        | Softball
              0200
               &     |                       der ,Oregon
              03001



  e *Reliebility of Cbservers:
  oLl                                                     VR - Very Reliable                     R e
                                                                                      R = DTReliabl                   Unl:         m -leliaboility
                                                                                                                       Tl - eUnlmovi           i

        *xDvaluetion: (1) "Creen Fireball IMcnomena                                             i                 ariation                       (3) Probable ‘leteor
                                               Ubservattion
                                                              Rownd §




                    rizontval
          ebove   slightly
                  descending


                  Paratolic
                  curve




Sendia            Slicht                                                 /
                                                                        1/3 ¢
Base,ew           falling                                               neter   of
                  arch                                             | moon

                  Lorizontal i Bright   {Tcs                            Lay
                                groen   |
18 of Unlmown A




     Chservers




                                                                                   or Vertical




                                                                                                                                 servation
                                                                                                                     ration of
                                                                      Horizontal
                                      Cocurrence




                                                                                                                                                .pperent
                 iGeneral
                            Lrea of




                                                                                                                                                  4
                 Hood                  River,!
                 Crepon
                   28!




                                                                                                     /Cl'y

                                                                                                 | bright
                                                                                                 | groen




                                                                                                 i Tale                                                       Disappeare

                                                                                                 |   zreen or                                                 behind
                                                                                                                                                              mountain



                                                                                                                                             S      AN    |
                                                                                                                                             Blower than,

                                                   ed from        jin ver                                                                    £alling
                                                                                                                                             star
                                                   high altical path
                                                   to 60001

                    lbuguerqueSE to N {1500! - i Ibrizontal                                                      i                           Ich fas.tar Disappeared
                    ew lexico !                    2000k      !                                              :                               ‘then a jeb

                                                   3 to 5°    Horizontal                             jBrilli-                                Iigh speed       |Disappeared
                                                   from ob=i                                         ant                                                      behind

                                                            i                                        green                                                    mountainous
                                                                                                                                                              horizon


                                                                                                                                                              Broke    into
                                                                                                                                                              pleces
     iHorizontel

                                                 Disintezra=
                                             i     S
                                                 ted into
                                                 shower of
                                                  maller
                         

[…truncated…]

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