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Unidentified Flying Object - Socorro, New Mexico, April 24, 1964
FBI report documenting the famous Socorro UFO incident. Officer Lonnie Zamora reported an unknown object that landed and took off. Agent Byrnes found four rectangular depressions, three burned patches of grass, and three smooth circular marks at the landing site.
Analysis
Officer Lonnie Zamora was chasing a speeder south of Socorro, New Mexico on April 24, 1964 when a roar and a blue-orange flame made him abandon the pursuit. He drove toward the source and found an egg-shaped aluminum-white object 150-200 yards away with two small figures in white coveralls standing beside it. One turned and appeared startled. Before Zamora could get closer, the object roared, blasted blue-orange flame from its underside, rose vertically, cleared a dynamite shack by three feet, and departed at high speed to the southwest -- then went silent. He was pale and sweating when Sergeant Chavez arrived. The physical evidence was unusually specific: four rectangular depressions (16x6 inches, 2 inches deep), three burned grass patches, three smooth circular marks pressed into sandy earth, and a red insignia 2.5 feet high on the object's side. FBI Special Agent D. Arthur Byrnes Jr. investigated personally and assessed Zamora as "sober, industrious, and conscientious" and "not given to fantasy."
Key Findings
- Object was egg/oval-shaped, aluminum-white, smooth with no windows or doors
- Two humanoid figures in white coveralls observed near object; appeared to be "small adults or large kids"
- One figure turned and appeared startled by Zamora's approach
- Object had red insignia approximately 2.5 feet high by 2 feet wide in the middle
- Blue-orange flame emitted from underside during takeoff; roar changed from low to high frequency
- Object rose vertically 20-25 feet, then departed horizontally at high speed with no flame or sound
- Four rectangular depressions left in ground (landing gear marks), three burned grass patches
- Three smooth circular marks (4 inches diameter) pressed into sandy earth
- Object cleared a dynamite shack by about 3 feet during departure
- SA Byrnes assessed Zamora as "sober, industrious, and conscientious officer and not given to fantasy"
- Zamora was visibly pale and sweating when Sergeant Chavez arrived
Page Extractions 40 pages
Page 1
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doc_typeform
classificationnone visible
page_descriptionFBI Central Records Center cover page for Case 62-HQ-83894, Serial 438, Volume 1 - a file jacket with declassification information.
dates2007-05-24 | declassification authority date
peopleFBI staff | organization
organizations
- FBI Central Records Center | law_enforcement
- FBI Automatic Declassification Guide | law_enforcement
locationsFBI headquarters | not explicitly stated
references
- Case Class 0062 | case classification
- Case # 83894 | case number
- Serial # 438 | serial number
- Volume 1 | volume designation
- Reference HQ-0000-867758 | FBI reference number
- File ID 8/11/1274161 | file identification
quotes
- "ONLY" | restriction marking on case jacket
- "Declassification authority derived from FBI Automatic Declassification Guide, issued May 24, 2007." | declassification authority note
Page 2
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doc_typereport
classificationnone visible
page_descriptionFBI report continuation regarding Unidentified Flying Object sighting in Socorro, New Mexico on April 24, 1964, documenting physical evidence at the site.
dates
- 1964-04-24 | date of incident and field visit by Special Agent Byrnes
- 1964-05-08 | report date from Albuquerque
people
- Special Agent D. Arthur Byrnes, Jr. | Federal Bureau of Investigation, stationed at Albuquerque, New Mexico | investigator/author
- Nep Lopez | radio operator, Socorro County Sheriff's Office | witness/informant
- M.S. Chavez | New Mexico State Police | witness
- Officer Lonnie Zamora | Socorro | primary witness
- Socorro County Undersheriff Jim Luckie | witness
- Sergeant M.S. Chavez | New Mexico State Police | witness
- Officer Ted Jordan | New Mexico State Police | witness
organizations
- Federal Bureau of Investigation | law_enforcement
- Socorro County Sheriff's Office | law_enforcement
- New Mexico State Police | law_enforcement
locations
- Albuquerque, New Mexico | FBI office location
- Socorro, New Mexico | incident location
- State Police Office, Socorro | meeting location
- Site approximately one mile southwest of Socorro | landing/evidence site
observations
- Four indentations in rough ground, approximately 16 by 6 inches rectangular, approximately 2 inches deep, appearing to have been made by object going into earth at angle from center line
- Three burned patches of clumps of grass inside the four depressions
- Other clumps of grass in same area appeared undisturbed
- One burned area outside the four depressions
- Three circular marks in earth, smooth, approximately 4 inches in diameter, penetrated sandy earth approximately 1/8 inch depth, appearing as if jar lid had been pushed into sand
- No other persons noted in area night of April 24, 1964
- No other objects noted in area possibly connected with incident
- No houses or inhabited dwellings in area or in sight of area
assessments
- Officer Zamora, known intimately for approximately five years, well regarded as sober, industrious, and conscientious officer and not given to fantasy | Special Agent Byrnes
- Officer Zamora noted to be perfectly sober and somewhat agitated over his experience | Special Agent Byrnes
quotes
- "Some unknown object which 'landed and has taken off.'" | radio call description of incident
- "Officer Zamora, known intimately for approximately five years, is well regarded as a sober, industrious, and conscientious officer and not given to fantasy." | Special Agent Byrnes assessment
- "Officer Zamora was noted to be perfectly sober and somewhat agitated over his experience." | Special Agent Byrnes observation
Page 3
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doc_typereport
classificationnone visible
page_descriptionPage 2 of FBI report on Socorro UFO incident, documenting physical evidence findings at the landing site.
dates1964-04-24 | date of incident
observations
- Four depressions appeared regular in shape, approximately 16 by 6 inches rectangular
- Each depression seemed to have been made by object going into earth at angle from center line
- Each depression approximately 2 inches deep and pushed earth to far side
- Inside four depressions were three burned patches of clumps of grass
- Other clumps of grass in same area appeared not to be disturbed
- One burned area was outside the four depressions
- Three circular marks in earth which were smooth
- Marks approximately 4 inches in diameter
- Marks penetrated in sandy earth approximately 1/8 inch depth as if jar lid had gently been pushed into sand
- No other person noted in area the night of April 24, 1964
- No other objects noted in area possibly connected with incident related by Officer Zamora
- No houses or inhabited dwellings in area or in sight of area
quotes
- "These depressions appeared regular in shape, approximately sixteen by six inches rectangular." | description of landing marks
- "Each depression seemed to have been made by an object going into the earth at an angle from a center line." | physical evidence description
- "As if a jar lid had gently been pushed into the sand." | description of circular marks
Page 4
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doc_typereport
classificationnone visible
page_descriptionDuplicate/triplicate copy of FBI report on Unidentified Flying Object sighting in Socorro, New Mexico on April 24, 1964.
dates
- 1964-04-24 | date of incident and field visit
- 1964-05-08 | report date from Albuquerque
people
- Special Agent D. Arthur Byrnes, Jr. | Federal Bureau of Investigation, stationed at Albuquerque, New Mexico | investigator
- Nep Lopez | radio operator, Socorro County Sheriff's Office | witness
- M.S. Chavez | New Mexico State Police | witness
- Officer Lonnie Zamora | Socorro primary witness
- Socorro County Undersheriff Jim Luckie | witness
- Officer Ted Jordan | New Mexico State Police | witness
organizations
- Federal Bureau of Investigation | law_enforcement
- Socorro County Sheriff's Office | law_enforcement
- New Mexico State Police | law_enforcement
locations
- Albuquerque, New Mexico | FBI office location
- Socorro, New Mexico | incident location
- State Police Office | meeting location
- Area about one mile southwest of Socorro | landing site
observations
- Four indentations in rough ground at landing site
- Depressions approximately 16 by 6 inches rectangular
- Each depression approximately 2 inches deep
- Object appeared to go into earth at angle from center line
- Three burned patches of clumps of grass inside depressions
- Other grass clumps in same area undisturbed
- One burned area outside four depressions
- Three circular marks in earth, smooth, approximately 4 inches diameter
- Marks penetrated sandy earth approximately 1/8 inch
assessments
- Officer Zamora is well regarded as a sober, industrious, and conscientious officer and not given to fantasy | Special Agent Byrnes
- Officer Zamora noted to be perfectly sober and somewhat agitated over his experience | Special Agent Byrnes
quotes
- "Unidentified Flying Object Socorro, New Mexico April 24, 1964" | report subject
- "Unknown object which 'landed and has taken off.'" | incident description from radio call
Page 5
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doc_typereport
classificationnone visible
page_descriptionContinuation of FBI report page 2 documenting physical evidence at Socorro UFO landing site.
dates1964-04-24 | date of incident
observations
- Four depressions in rough ground appeared regular in shape
- Approximately 16 by 6 inches rectangular dimensions
- Each depression made by object going into earth at angle from center line
- Each depression approximately 2 inches deep
- Depression pushed some earth to far side
- Inside four depressions were three burned patches of clumps of grass
- Other clumps of grass in same area appeared not to be disturbed
- One burned area was outside the four depressions
- Three circular marks in earth which were smooth
- Approximately 4 inches in diameter
- Penetrated in sandy earth approximately 1/8 inch depth
- Appeared as if jar lid had gently been pushed into sand
- No other persons noted in area night of April 24, 1964
- No other objects noted in area possibly connected with incident
- No houses or inhabited dwellings in area or in sight of area
quotes
- "These depressions appeared regular in shape, approximately sixteen by six inches rectangular." | evidence description
- "Each depression seemed to have been made by an object going into the earth at an angle from a center line." | physical evidence analysis
- "As if a jar lid had gently been pushed into the sand." | circular marks description
Page 6
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doc_typereport
classificationnone visible
page_descriptionPartial or degraded copy of FBI report on Socorro UFO incident with heavily redacted/obscured text sections.
dates
- 1964-04-24 | date of incident visible in fragments
- 1964-05-08 | report date visible in fragments
people
- Special Agent D. Arthur Byrnes, Jr. | Federal Bureau of Investigation | visible in fragments
- Nep Lopez | radio operator | visible in fragments
- Officer Lonnie Zamora | Socorro | visible in fragments
organizations
- Federal Bureau of Investigation | law_enforcement
- Socorro County Sheriff's Office | law_enforcement
- New Mexico State Police | law_enforcement
locations
- Albuquerque, New Mexico | visible in fragments
- Socorro, New Mexico | visible in fragments
observations
- Multiple references to indentations and depressions in rough ground (text partially visible)
- References to burned patches of grass (text quality degraded)
- Circular marks in earth mentioned (partial visibility)
redactions
- Significant portions of text are heavily redacted or obscured, making full content extraction difficult
- Multiple lines have severe degradation or intentional redaction marks
- Document appears to be a copy or fax-quality reproduction of lower quality
notesDocument quality makes this a poor-quality duplicate or reproduction of earlier pages
Page 7
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doc_typereport
classificationnone visible
page_descriptionContinuation of Socorro UFO incident report with detailed description of physical evidence marks observed at landing site.
dates1964-04-24 | date of incident
observations
- Four depressions in rough ground appeared regular in shape
- Approximately 16 by 6 inches rectangular
- Each depression made by object going into earth at angle from center line
- Each depression approximately 2 inches deep, pushed earth to far side
- Inside four depressions were three burned patches of clumps of grass
- Other clumps of grass in same area appeared not to be disturbed
- One burned area outside the four depressions
- Three circular marks in earth, smooth, approximately 4 inches diameter
- Marks penetrated sandy earth approximately 1/8 inch depth
- Appeared as if jar lid had gently been pushed into sand
- No other persons in area night of April 24, 1964
- No other objects noted in area possibly connected with incident
- No houses or inhabited dwellings in area or in sight of area
quotes
- "These depressions appeared regular in shape, approximately sixteen by six inches rectangular." | physical evidence description
- "Each depression seemed to have been made by an object going into the earth at an angle from a center line." | evidence analysis
- "As if a jar lid had gently been pushed into the sand." | circular marks description
Page 8
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doc_typereport
classificationnone visible
page_descriptionFBI report detailing Officer Lonnie Zamora's account of the Socorro incident, including his chase pursuit and initial sighting of flame in sky.
dates
- 1964-04-24 | date of incident
- 1964-04-25 | early morning when additional data obtained
- 1964-05-08 | report date from Albuquerque
people
- Officer Lonnie Zamora | 606 Reservoir Street, Socorro, New Mexico, 835-1134, Officer Socorro Police Department, about five years service, office phone 835-0941, on 2:00 P.M. to 10:00 P.M. shift | witness
- Floyd Reynolds' boy, Vivian | approximately 17 years old, possibly driving chased car | suspected subject
organizationsSocorro Police Department | law_enforcement
locations
- Socorro, New Mexico | incident location
- West side of Courthouse, Socorro | chase start point
- Old Rodeo Street (extension of Park Street south) | chase location
- George Morillo residence | reference point, about one-half mile south of Spring Street
- Rodeo grounds | chase direction
- Southwest area possibly half mile to mile from Socorro | flame location
- Isolated area south of Socorro | flame observation area
observations
- About 5:45 P.M., April 24, 1964, Officer Zamora in Socorro Police Car (1964 Pontiac white) started to chase car due south from west side of Courthouse
- Chased car apparently speeding, about three blocks in front
- Chased car: new black Chevrolet, possibly driven by Floyd Reynolds' boy, Vivian, about 17 years old
- Heard roar and saw flame in sky to southwest, some distance away—possibly half mile or mile away
- Thought dynamite shack in area had blown up
- Decided to abandon chase and check on flame
- Flame was bluish and sort of orange
- Could not tell size of flame
- Flame appeared motionless, slowly descending
- Narrow type of flame, like "stream down"—funnel type, narrower at top than at bottom
- Flame possibly three degrees or so in width—not wide
- Flame possibly mile south of Socorro in isolated area
- Flame about twice as wide at bottom as top
- About four times as high as top was wide
- Did not notice any object at top
- Could not see bottom of flame because behind hill
- Sun to west did not help vision
- Had green sun glasses over prescription glasses
- No smoke noted
- Noted some "commotion" at bottom—dust, possibly from windy day
- Wind was blowing hard
- Clear sunny sky otherwise with just a few scattered clouds
quotes
- "Lonnie Zamora, 606 Reservoir Street, Socorro, New Mexico, 835-1134, Officer Socorro Police Department about five years, office phone 835-0941, now on 2:00 P.M. to 10:00 P.M. shift." | witness identification
- "Car was apparently speeding, and was about three blocks in front." | chase description
- "Car chased was a new black Chevrolet, (it might have been Floyd Reynolds' boy, Vivian, about 17)." | suspect vehicle description
Page 9
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doc_typereport
classificationnone visible
page_descriptionContinuation of Officer Zamora's account describing the roar and flame phenomena, with detailed observations of sound characteristics and visual appearance.
dates1964-04-24 | date and time of sighting, approximately 5:45 P.M.
observations
- Heard roar and saw flame in sky to southwest, possibly half mile or mile away
- Came to mind that dynamite shack in area had blown up
- Decided to abandon chase and check on flame
- Flame was bluish and sort of orange
- Could not tell size of flame
- Sort of motionless flame, slowly descending
- Was still driving police car, could not pay too much attention to flame
- Narrow type of flame, like "stream down"—funnel type, narrower at top than at bottom
- Flame possibly three degrees or so in width—not wide
- Flame possibly mile south of Socorro in isolated area
- Flame about twice as wide at bottom as top
- About four times as high as top was wide
- Did not notice any object at top
- Did not note if top of flame was level
- Sun to west did not help vision
- Had green sun glasses over prescription glasses
- Could not see bottom of flame because it was behind hill
- No smoke noted
- Noted some "commotion" at bottom—dust, possibly from windy day
- Wind was blowing hard
- Clear sunny sky otherwise with just a few scattered clouds
quotes
- "Came to mind that a dynamite shack in that area had blown up." | initial impression
- "The flame was bluish and sort of orange too." | flame color description
- "It was like a 'stream down'-- a funnel type--narrower at top than at bottom." | flame shape description
- "Flame possibly three degrees or so in width--not wide." | flame width estimation
- "The flame about twice as wide at bottom as top, and about four times as high as top was wide." | flame proportions
- "No smoke noted. Noted some 'commotion' at bottom-- dust? Possibly from windy day--wind was blowing hard." | additional observations
Page 10
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doc_typereport
classificationnone visible
page_descriptionContinuation of Officer Zamora's account describing the sound characteristics of the roar and his driving up the hill toward the flame site.
dates1964-04-24 | date and time of incident, approximately 5:45 P.M.
observations
- Noise was a roar, not a blast, not like a jet
- Changed from high frequency to low frequency and then stopped
- Roar lasted possibly ten seconds
- Was going towards it at that time on rough gravel road
- Saw flame about as long as heard the sound
- Flame same color as best as recall
- Sound distinctly from high to low until it disappeared
- Both car windows were down
- No other spectators noted, no traffic except car in front
- Car in front might have heard it but possibly did not see it because too close to hill in front
- After roar and flame, did not note anything while going up somewhat steep rough hill toward flame site
- Got up about half way first time, wheels started skidding
- Roar still going on during climb, had to back down and try twice again before made the hill
- Hill about sixty feet long, fairly steep, with loose gravel and rock
- While beginning third time, noise and flame not noted
- After got to top, traveled slowly on gravel road westwardly
- Noted nothing for awhile, for possibly ten or fifteen seconds
- Went slow, looking around for dynamite shack
- Did not recall exactly where dynamite shack was
quotes
- "Noise was a roar, not a blast. Not like a jet." | sound characterization
- "Changed from high frequency to low frequency and then stopped." | sound frequency change
- "Roar lasted possibly ten seconds." | duration
- "Sound distinctly from high to low until it disappeared." | sound progression
- "Hill about sixty feet long, fairly steep and with loose gravel and rock." | terrain description
Page 11
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doc_typereport
classificationnone visible
page_descriptionOfficer Zamora's account of suddenly discovering a shiny object with two humanoid figures in white coveralls nearby.
dates1964-04-24 | date of incident
observations
- Suddenly noted shiny type object to south about 150 to 200 yards
- Object was off the road
- At first glance, looked like car turned upside down
- Thought some kids might have turned over
- Saw two people in white coveralls very close to object
- One of these persons seemed to turn and look straight at Zamora's car and seemed startled
- Seemed to quickly jump somewhat
- When first saw object (when thought it might be car), saw what appeared to be two legs of some type from object to ground
- At time, did not pay much attention to what it was
- Thought it was an accident
- Saw two persons
- Did not pay attention to two "legs"
- Two "legs" were at bottom of object, slanted outwards to ground
- Object might have been about three and a half feet from ground at that time
- Zamora just glanced at it
- Started moving car towards them quickly with idea to help
- Had stopped about only a couple seconds
- Object was like aluminum, whitish against mesa background, but not chrome
- Seemed like oval/egg shape (symbol: O) and Zamora at first glance took it to be overturned white car
- Car appeared turned up like standing [text continues]
quotes
- "Suddenly noted a shiny type object to south about 150 to 200 yards." | initial observation
- "It looked, at first, like a car turned upside down." | initial impression
- "Saw two people in white coveralls very close to the object." | humanoid figures description
- "One of these persons seemed to turn and look straight at my car and seemed startled--seemed to quickly jump somewhat." | entity behavior
- "I saw what appeared to be two legs of some type from the object to the ground." | landing gear description
- "The two 'legs' were at the bottom of the object, slanted outwards to the ground." | leg positioning
- "The object might have been about three and a half feet from the ground at that time." | altitude estimation
- "Object was like aluminum--it was whitish against the mesa background, but not chrome." | material and appearance
Page 12
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doc_typereport
classificationnone visible
page_descriptionOfficer Zamora's detailed account of the two humanoid figures in white coveralls and his radio communication with the sheriff's office.
dates1964-04-24 | date of incident
people
- Officer Lonnie Zamora | witness
- Two humanoid figures in white coveralls | unidentified entities observed near object
observations
- Only saw the two persons when stopped for possibly two seconds to glance at object
- Did not recall noting any particular shape or possibly any hats or headgear
- Persons appeared normal in shape—but possibly they were small adults or large kids
- Two or three loud "thumps" heard, like someone possibly hammering or shutting door hard
- "Thumps" possibly a second or less apart
- "Thumps" just before the roar
- Persons not seen when Zamora got up to scene area
organizationsSocorro Sheriff's Office | law_enforcement
observations
- Radioed to sheriff's office: "Socorro 2 to Socorro, possible 10-44 (accident); I'll be 10-6 (busy) out of the car checking the car down in the arroyo."
- Stopped car, still talking on radio
- Started to get out, mike fell down
- Reached back to put up mike, then replaced radio mike in slot
- Got out of car and turned to go down to where knew object (car) was
quotes
- "The only time I saw these two persons was when I had stopped, for possibly two seconds or so, to glance at the object." | observation
- "These persons appeared normal in shape--but possibly they were small adults or large kids." | entity description
- "Socorro 2 to Socorro, possible 10-44 (accident); I'll be 10-6 (busy) out of the car checking the car down in the arroyo." | radio transmission
- "I heard about two or three loud 'thumps,' like someone possibly hammering or shutting a door or doors hard." | sound observation
- "The persons were not seen when I got up to the scene area." | subsequent observation
Page 13
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doc_typereport
classificationnone visible
page_descriptionOfficer Zamora's account of the loud roar and departure of the object, including visual details of the flame and object characteristics.
dates1964-04-24 | date and time of incident
observations
- Hardly turned around from car when heard roar (was not exactly a blast), very loud roar
- At close range was real loud, not like a jet—knows what jets sound like
- Started low frequency quickly, then roar rose in frequency (higher tone) and in loudness—from loud to very loud
- At same time as roar saw flame
- Flame was under the object
- Object was starting to go straight up—slowly up
- Object slowly rose straight up
- Flame was light blue and at bottom was sort of orange color
- From this angle, saw what might be the side of object (not end, as first noted)
- Difficult to describe flame
- Thought from roar it might blow up
- Flame might have come from underside of object, at middle, possibly a four feet area—very rough guess
- Cannot describe flame further except blue and orange
- No smoke, except dust in immediate area
- As soon as saw flame and heard roar, turned away, ran away from object but did turn head several times towards object
- Bumped leg on car—back fender area
- Car facing southwest
- Glasses fell to ground, left them there
- Ran to north—car between him and object
- Object was oval shape, smooth—no windows or doors
- As roar started, it was still on or near ground
- Noted red lettering of some type
quotes
- "Hardly turned around from car when heard roar, (was not exactly a blast), very loud roar--at that close was real loud." | sound observation
- "Not like a jet--knows what jets sound like." | sound comparison
- "Started low frequency quickly, then roar rose in frequency (higher tone) and in loudness--from loud to very loud." | sound progression
- "Flame was light blue and at bottom was sort of orange color." | flame appearance
- "Difficult to describe flame. Thought, from roar, it might blow up." | witness assessment
- "Flame might have come from underside of object, at middle, possibly a four feet area--very rough guess." | flame source
- "Object was C shape. It was smooth--no windows or doors." | object description
Page 14
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doc_typereport
classificationnone visible
page_descriptionOfficer Zamora's account of the object's insignia marking and his flight from the area during the object's ascent.
dates1964-04-24 | date and time of incident
observations
- Insignia was about two and one-half feet high and about two feet wide, guess
- Was in middle of object, marking appears to be stylized symbol
- Object still like aluminum-white
- After fell by car and glasses fell off, kept running to north with car between him and object
- Glanced back couple of times
- Noted object to rise to about level of car, about twenty to twenty-five feet, guess
- Took about six seconds when object started to rise and Zamora glanced back
- Ran about half way to where he ducked down—about fifty feet from car is where he ducked down, just over edge of hill
- Had run about twenty-five feet when glanced back and saw object about level with car
- Object appeared about directly over place where it rose from
- Still running and jumped just over hill—stopped because did not hear roar
- Scared of roar and had planned to continue running down hill
- Turned around toward object and at same time put head towards ground, covering face with arms
- Being that there was no roar, looked up and saw object going away from him, in southwest direction
- When roar stopped, heard sharp tone whine from high tone to low tone
- Whine lasted maybe a second
- Then there was complete silence about object
quotes
- "Insignia was about two and one-half feet high and about two feet wide, guess. Was in middle of object, like [symbol]." | insignia description
- "Noted object to rise to about level of car, about twenty to twenty-five feet, guess--took I guess about six seconds when object started to rise and I glanced back." | ascent observation
- "I guess I had run about twenty-five feet when I glanced back and saw the object about level with the car and it appeared about directly over the place where it rose from." | object position
- "When the roar stopped, heard a sharp tone whine from high tone to low tone." | sound observation
Page 15
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doc_typereport
classificationnone visible
page_descriptionOfficer Zamora's account of the object's departure and his radio communication describing it as a balloon.
dates1964-04-24 | date and time of incident
observations
- Whine lasted maybe a second
- Then there was complete silence about object
- When lifted head saw object going away from him
- It did not come any closer
- It appeared to go in straight line and at same height—possibly ten to fifteen feet from ground
- It cleared dynamite shack by about three feet
- Shack about eight feet high
- Object was traveling very fast
- It seemed to rise up and take off immediately across country
- Ran back to car and as ran back, kept eye on object
- Picked up glasses (left sunglasses on ground), got into car
- Radioed to Nep Lopez, radio operator, to "look out the window, to see if you could see an object"
- Nep asked "What is it?"
- Zamora answered "It looks like a balloon."
- Did not know if Nep saw it
- If Nep looked out his window, which faces north, he couldn't have seen it
- Did not tell him at moment which window to look out of
- Could still see object as calling Nep
- Object seemed to lift up slowly and to "get small" in distance very fast
- Seemed to just clear Box Canyon or Six Mile Canyon Mountain
- It disappeared as went over mountain
- Had no flame whatsoever as traveling over ground
- No smoke or noise as traveling
duration
- Could not tell how long saw object second time ("close" time), possibly twenty seconds—just a guess
- From time got out of car, glanced at object, ran from object, jumped over edge of hill, then got back to car and radioed as object disappeared
quotes
- "It did not come any closer to me. It appeared to go in a straight line and at same height--possibly ten to fifteen feet from ground, and it cleared the dynamite shack by about three feet." | object trajectory
- "Object was traveling very fast. It seemed to rise up and take off immediately across country." | movement characterization
- "It looks like a balloon." | radio communication to Nep Lopez
- "As I was calling Nep, I could still see the object. The object seemed to lift up slowly, and to 'get small' in the distance very fast." | final observation
- "It had no flame whatsoever as it was traveling over the ground, and no smoke or noise." | departure characteristics
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doc_typereport
classificationnone visible
page_descriptionOfficer Zamora's final account including his health condition, observations at landing site, and conversation with Sergeant Chavez.
dates1964-04-24 | date of incident
people
- Officer Lonnie Zamora | witness
- Sergeant M.S. Chavez | New Mexico State Police, Socorro | investigator/responder
- Nep Lopez | radio operator | witness to communication
observations
- Could not tell how long saw object second time ("close" time), possibly twenty seconds—just a guess
- From time got out of car, glanced at object, ran from object, jumped over edge of hill, then got back to car and radioed as object disappeared
- Just before Sergeant Chavez got to scene, got pen and drew picture of insignia on object
- Feeling in good health
- Last drink—two or three beers—was over a month ago
- Noted no odors
- Noted no sounds other than described
- Gave directions to Nep Lopez at radio and to Sergeant M.S. Chavez to get there
- Went down to where object had been
- Noted brush was burning in several places
- At that time, heard Sergeant Chaves (New Mexico State Police at Socorro) calling on radio for location
- Returned to car, told him he was "looking at me"
- Sergeant Chavez came up, asked what trouble was, because Zamora was sweating
- Sergeant Chavez told him he was white, very pale
- Asked Sergeant to see what he saw—the burning brush
organizations
- Socorro Police Department | law_enforcement
- New Mexico State Police, Socorro | law_enforcement
locations
- Socorro, New Mexico | incident location
- Landing site/arroyo area | evidence location
quotes
- "Just before Sergeant Chavez got to scene, I got my pen and drew a picture of the insignia on the object." | physical documentation
- "Feeling in good health. Last drink--two or three beers--was over a month ago." | witness condition
- "Went down to where the object had been and I noted the brush was burning in several places." | evidence observation
- "Then Sergeant Chavez came up, asked me what the trouble was, because I was sweating and he told me I was white, very pale." | witness physical state
- "I asked the Sergeant to see what I saw, and that was the burning brush." | evidence direction
Page 17
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classificationnone visible
page_descriptionBrief continuation noting Sergeant Chavez pointing out tracks at the landing site.
dates1964-04-24 | date of incident
people
- Officer Lonnie Zamora | witness
- Sergeant M.S. Chavez | New Mexico State Police | investigator
observations
- Sergeant Chavez and Zamora went to the spot
- Sergeant Chavez pointed out the tracks
quotes"Sergeant Chavez and I went to the spot, and Sergeant Chavez pointed out the tracks." | evidence observation
Page 18
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doc_typereport
classificationnone visible
page_descriptionDuplicate/early copy of FBI report on Socorro UFO incident with some text quality variations from cleaner versions.
dates
- 1964-04-24 | date of incident
- 1964-04-25 | early morning interview
- 1964-05-08 | report date from Albuquerque
people
- Officer Lonnie Zamora | Police Department, Socorro, New Mexico, witness
- Floyd Reynolds' boy, Vivian | approximately 17, possibly in chased vehicle
organizations
- Socorro Police Department | law_enforcement
- Federal Bureau of Investigation | law_enforcement
locations
- Albuquerque, New Mexico | FBI office
- Socorro, New Mexico | incident location
- Courthouse area | chase start location
- Old Rodeo Street | chase route
- George Morillo residence | reference point
- Rodeo grounds | chase direction
observations
- About 5:45 P.M., April 24, 1964, Officer Zamora in Socorro 2 Police Car (1964 Pontiac white) started chase
- Car apparently speeding, about three blocks in front
- Chased car: new black Chevrolet, possibly Floyd Reynolds' boy, Vivian, about 17
- Chased car still about three blocks ahead
quotes"The following data were obtained from Officer Lonnie Zamora, Police Department, Socorro, New Mexico, the night of April 24, 1964, and early morning, April 25, 1964, as related by Officer Zamora." | report introduction
Page 19
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doc_typedocument
classificationnone visible
page_descriptionPage with heavy degradation and ink smearing, largely unreadable.
notes
- Page appears to be heavily degraded photocopy or fax transmission
- Text is severely obscured and illegible throughout
- Multiple ink smears and quality degradation make content extraction impossible
- Appears to be continuation of Socorro incident report but content cannot be reliably extracted
Page 20
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doc_typereport
classificationnone visible
page_descriptionOfficer Zamora's account of the roar and the object's physical characteristics and apparent departure with sound progression details.
dates1964-04-24 | date and time of incident
observations
- Noise was a roar, not a blast, not like a jet
- Changed from high frequency to low frequency and then stopped
- Roar lasted possibly ten seconds—was going towards it at that time on rough gravel road
- Saw flame about as long as heard the sound
- Flame same color as best as recall
- Sound distinctly from high to low until it disappeared
- Both car windows were down
- No other spectators noted—no traffic except car in front
- Car in front might have heard it but possibly did not see it because car in front was too close to hill in front, to see the flame
- After roar and flame, did not note anything, while going up somewhat steep rough hill toward flame site
- Got up about half way first time, wheels started skidding
- Roar still going on, had to back down and try twice again before made the hill
- Hill about sixty feet long, fairly steep and with loose gravel and rock
- While beginning third time, noise and flame not noted
- After got to top, traveled slowly on gravel road westwardly
- Noted nothing for awhile, for possibly ten or fifteen seconds
- Went slow, looking around for dynamite shack
- Did not recall exactly where dynamite shack was
quotes
- "Noise was a roar, not a blast. Not like a jet." | sound characterization
- "Changed from high frequency to low frequency and then stopped." | sound progression
- "Roar lasted possibly ten seconds--was going towards it at that time on the rough gravel road." | duration and movement
- "Sound distinctly from high to low until it disappeared." | frequency change
- "Hill about sixty feet long, fairly steep and with loose gravel and rock." | terrain description
Page 21
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doc_typereport
classificationnone visible
page_descriptionOfficer Zamora's first detailed observation of the shiny object and the two humanoid figures in white coveralls near it.
dates1964-04-24 | date of incident
people
- Officer Lonnie Zamora | witness
- Two humanoid figures in white coveralls | entities observed near object
observations
- Suddenly noted shiny type object to south about 150 to 200 yards
- It was off the road
- At first glance, stopped
- It looked, at first, like a car turned upside down
- Thought some kids might have turned over
- Saw two people in white coveralls very close to the object
- One of these persons seemed to turn and look straight at car and seemed startled
- Seemed to quickly jump somewhat
- When first saw object (when thought it might be car), saw what appeared to be two legs of some type from object to ground
- At time, did not pay much attention to what it was
- Thought it was an accident
- Saw two persons
- Did not pay attention to two "legs"
- Two "legs" were at bottom of object, slanted outwards to ground
- Object might have been about three and a half feet from ground at that time
- Just glanced at it
- At this time started moving car towards them quickly, with idea to help
- Had stopped about only a couple seconds
- Object was like aluminum—it was whitish against mesa background, but not chrome
- Seemed like oval shape (symbol: O) and at first glance took it to be overturned white car
- Car appeared turned up like standing [continues]
quotes
- "Suddenly noted a shiny type object to south about 150 to 200 yards." | initial sighting
- "It looked, at first, like a car turned upside down." | first impression
- "Saw two people in white coveralls very close to the object." | entity observation
- "One of these persons seemed to turn and look straight at my car and seemed startled--seemed to quickly jump somewhat." | entity behavior
- "I saw what appeared to be two legs of some type from the object to the ground." | landing gear
- "The object might have been about three and a half feet from the ground at that time." | altitude estimate
- "Object was like aluminum--it was whitish against the mesa background, but not chrome." | material and appearance
Page 22
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classificationnone visible
page_descriptionOfficer Zamora's account of the two humanoid figures and his radio communication upon discovering the object.
dates1964-04-24 | date of incident
people
- Officer Lonnie Zamora | witness
- Two humanoid figures in white coveralls | entities observed
observations
- Only saw two persons when stopped for possibly two seconds to glance at object
- Did not recall noting any particular shape or possibly any hats or headgear
- Persons appeared normal in shape—but possibly they were small adults or large kids
- Then paid attention to road while drove towards scene
- Radioed to sheriff's office: "Socorro 2 to Socorro, possible 10-44 (accident); I'll be 10-6 (busy) out of the car checking the car down in the arroyo."
- Stopped car, was still talking on radio, started to get out
- Mike fell down, reached back to put up mike, then replaced radio mike in slot
- Got out of car and turned to go down to where knew object (car) was
- As mike fell, got out of car at scene area
- Heard about two or three loud "thumps," like someone possibly hammering or shutting door or doors hard
- "Thumps" were possibly a second or less apart
- This was just before the roar
- Persons were not seen when got up to scene area
quotes
- "The only time I saw these two persons was when I had stopped, for possibly two seconds or so, to glance at the object." | observation
- "These persons appeared normal in shape--but possibly they were small adults or large kids." | entity description
- "Socorro 2 to Socorro, possible 10-44 (accident); I'll be 10-6 (busy) out of the car checking the car down in the arroyo." | radio transmission
- "I heard about two or three loud 'thumps,' like someone possibly hammering or shutting a door or doors hard." | sound observation
Page 23
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classificationnone visible
page_descriptionOfficer Zamora's detailed account of the roar and his escape from the area.
dates1964-04-24 | date and time of incident
observations
- Hardly turned around from car when heard roar (was not exactly a blast), very loud roar
- At that close was real loud
- Not like a jet—knows what jets sound like
- Started low frequency quickly, then roar rose in frequency (higher tone) and in loudness—from loud to very loud
- At same time as roar saw flame
- Flame was under the object
- Object was starting to go straight up—slowly up
- Object slowly rose straight up
- Flame was light blue and at bottom was sort of orange color
- From this angle, saw what might be the side of object (not end, as first noted)
- Difficult to describe flame
- Thought, from roar, it might blow up
- Flame might have come from underside of object, at middle, possibly a four feet area—very rough guess
- Cannot describe flame further except blue and orange
- No smoke, except dust in immediate area
- As soon as saw flame and heard roar, turned away, ran away from object but did turn head several times towards object
- Bumped leg on car—back fender area
- Car facing southwest
- Glasses fell to ground, left them there
- Ran to north—car between him and object
- Object was oval shape
- It was smooth—no windows or doors
- As roar started, it was still on or near ground
- Noted red lettering of some type
quotes
- "Hardly turned around from car when heard roar, (was not exactly a blast), very loud roar--at that close was real loud." | sound observation
- "Not like a jet--knows what jets sound like." | sound comparison
- "Started low frequency quickly, then roar rose in frequency (higher tone) and in loudness--from loud to very loud." | sound progression
- "Flame was light blue and at bottom was sort of orange color." | flame appearance
- "Object was [oval] in shape. It was smooth--no windows or doors." | object description
Page 24
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page_descriptionOfficer Zamora's description of the object's insignia and his flight from the ascending object.
dates1964-04-24 | date of incident
observations
- Insignia was about two and one-half feet high and about two feet wide, guess
- Was in middle of object, like [symbol with "A" inside oval]
- Object still like aluminum-white
- After fell by car and glasses fell off, kept running to north with car between him and object
- Glanced back couple of times
- Noted object to rise to about level of car, about twenty to twenty-five feet, guess
- Took about six seconds when object started to rise and Zamora glanced back
- Ran about half way to where he ducked down—about fifty feet from car is where he ducked down, just over edge of hill
- Had run about twenty-five feet when glanced back and saw object about level with car
- Object appeared about directly over place where it rose from
- Still running and jumped just over hill—stopped because did not hear roar
- Was scared of roar and had planned to continue running down hill
- Turned around toward object and at same time put head towards ground, covering face with arms
- Being that there was no roar, looked up and saw object going away from him, in southwest direction
- When roar stopped, heard sharp tone whine from high tone to low tone
- Whine lasted maybe a second
- Then there was complete silence about object
quotes
- "Insignia was about two and one-half feet high and about two feet wide, guess. Was in middle of object, like [symbol]." | insignia description
- "Noted object to rise to about level of car, about twenty to twenty-five feet, guess--took I guess about six seconds when object started to rise and I glanced back." | ascent observation
- "I was still running and I jumped just over the hill--I stopped because I did not hear the roar." | witness action
- "When the roar stopped, heard a sharp tone whine from high tone to low tone." | sound observation
Page 25
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classificationnone visible
page_descriptionOfficer Zamora's account of the object's final departure and communication with radio operator Nep Lopez.
dates1964-04-24 | date and time of incident
people
- Officer Lonnie Zamora | witness
- Nep Lopez | radio operator | recipient of radio communication
observations
- Whine lasted maybe a second
- Then there was complete silence about object
- When lifted head saw object going away from him
- It did not come any closer
- It appeared to go in straight line and at same height—possibly ten to fifteen feet from ground
- It cleared dynamite shack by about three feet
- Shack about eight feet high
- Object was traveling very fast
- It seemed to rise up and take off immediately across country
- Ran back to car and as ran back, kept eye on object
- Picked up glasses (I left the sunglasses on the ground), got into the car
- Radioed to Nep Lopez, radio operator, to "look out the window, to see if you could see an object."
- Nep asked "What is it?"
- Zamora answered "It looks like a balloon."
- Did not know if he saw it
- If Nep looked out his window, which faces north, he couldn't have seen it
- Did not tell him at the moment which window to look out of
- Could still see object as calling Nep
- Object seemed to lift up slowly and to "get small" in distance very fast
- Seemed to just clear Box Canyon or Six Mile Canyon Mountain
- It disappeared as went over mountain
- Had no flame whatsoever as traveling over ground
- No smoke or noise as traveling
quotes
- "It did not come any closer to me. It appeared to go in a straight line and at same height--possibly ten to fifteen feet from ground, and it cleared the dynamite shack by about three feet." | departure trajectory
- "Object was traveling very fast. It seemed to rise up and take off immediately across country." | movement characterization
- "It looks like a balloon." | radio communication to Nep Lopez
- "As I was calling Nep, I could still see the object. The object seemed to lift up slowly, and to 'get small' in the distance very fast." | final observation
- "It had no flame whatsoever as it was traveling over the ground, and no smoke or noise." | departure characteristics
Page 26
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classificationnone visible
page_descriptionOfficer Zamora's concluding observations including his health condition, the burning brush at landing site, and conversation with Sergeant Chavez.
dates1964-04-24 | date of incident
people
- Officer Lonnie Zamora | witness
- Sergeant M.S. Chavez | New Mexico State Police, Socorro | investigator
- Nep Lopez | radio operator | witness to communication
observations
- Could not tell how long saw object second time ("close" time), possibly twenty seconds—just a guess
- From time got out of car, glanced at object, ran from object, jumped over edge of hill, then got back to car and radioed as object disappeared
- Just before Sergeant Chavez got to scene, got pen and drew picture of insignia on object
- Feeling in good health
- Last drink—two or three beers—was over a month ago
- Noted no odors
- Noted no sounds other than described
- Gave directions to Nep Lopez at radio and to Sergeant M.S. Chavez to get there
- Went down to where object had been and noted brush was burning in several places
- At that time, heard Sergeant Chaves (New Mexico State Police at Socorro) calling on radio for location
- Returned to car, told him he was "looking at me"
- Sergeant Chavez came up, asked what trouble was, because Zamora was sweating
- Sergeant Chavez told him he was white, very pale
- Asked Sergeant to see what he saw, and that was the burning brush
organizations
- Socorro Police Department | law_enforcement
- New Mexico State Police, Socorro | law_enforcement
locations
- Socorro, New Mexico | incident location
- Landing site/arroyo area | evidence location
quotes
- "Just before Sergeant Chavez got to scene, I got my pen and drew a picture of the insignia on the object." | physical documentation
- "Feeling in good health. Last drink--two or three beers--was over a month ago." | witness condition
- "Went down to where the object had been and I noted the brush was burning in several places." | evidence observation
- "Then Sergeant Chavez came up, asked me what the trouble was, because I was sweating and he told me I was white, very pale." | witness physical state
- "I asked the Sergeant to see what I saw, and that was the burning brush." | evidence direction
Page 27
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page_descriptionBrief page noting Sergeant Chavez pointing out tracks at the landing site.
dates1964-04-24 | date of incident
people
- Officer Lonnie Zamora | witness
- Sergeant M.S. Chavez | New Mexico State Police | investigator
observations
- Sergeant Chavez and Zamora went to the spot
- Sergeant Chavez pointed out the tracks
quotes"Sergeant Chavez and I went to the spot, and Sergeant Chavez pointed out the tracks." | evidence observation
Page 28
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doc_typereport
classificationnone visible
page_descriptionAnother FBI report copy on Socorro UFO incident with early account of flame sighting.
dates
- 1964-04-24 | date of incident
- 1964-04-25 | early morning interview
- 1964-05-08 | report date from Albuquerque
people
- Officer Lonnie Zamora | Police Department, Socorro, New Mexico, witness
- Floyd Reynolds' boy, Vivian | approximately 17, possibly in chased vehicle
observations
- About 5:45 P.M., April 24, 1964, Officer Zamora in Socorro 2 Police Car (1964 Pontiac white) started chase
- Car apparently speeding, about three blocks in front
- Chased car: new black Chevrolet, possibly Floyd Reynolds' boy, Vivian, about 17
- At this time heard roar and saw flame in sky to southwest, possibly half mile or mile away
- Came to mind that dynamite shack in area had blown up
- Decided to abandon chase and check on flame
- Flame was bluish and sort of orange
- Could not tell size of flame
- Sort of motionless flame, slowly descending
- Was still driving police car, could not pay too much attention to flame
- Narrow type of flame, like "stream down"—funnel type, narrower at top than at bottom
- Flame possibly three degrees or so in width—not wide
- Flame possibly mile south of Socorro in isolated area
- Flame about twice as wide at bottom as top
- About four times as high as top was wide
- Did not notice any object at top
- Did not note if top of flame was level
- Sun to west did not help vision
- Had green sun glasses over prescription glasses
- Could not see bottom of flame because behind hill
- No smoke noted
- Noted some "commotion" at bottom—dust, possibly from windy day
- Wind was blowing hard
- Clear sunny sky otherwise with just a few scattered clouds
quotes
- "At this time heard a roar and saw a flame in the sky to the southwest some distance away--possibly a half mile or a mile." | observation
- "The flame was bluish and sort of orange too." | flame color
- "It was like a 'stream down'-- a funnel type--narrower at top than at bottom." | flame shape
Page 29
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page_descriptionContinuation of Officer Zamora's account detailing the sound characteristics and hill climb to the flame site.
dates1964-04-24 | date and time of incident
observations
- Lonnie alone after abandoning speeding car chase
- At this time heard roar and saw flame in sky to southwest, possibly half mile or mile away
- Came to mind that dynamite shack in area had blown up
- Decided to abandon chase and check on flame
- Flame was bluish and sort of orange
- Could not tell size of flame
- Sort of motionless flame, slowly descending
- Was still driving police car, could not pay too much attention to flame
- Narrow type of flame, like "stream down"—funnel type, narrower at top than at bottom
- Flame possibly three degrees or so in width—not wide
- Flame possibly mile south of Socorro in isolated area
- Flame about twice as wide at bottom as top
- About four times as high as top was wide
- Did not notice any object at top
- Sun to west did not help vision
- Had green sun glasses over prescription glasses
- Could not see bottom of flame because it was behind the hill
- No smoke noted
- Noted some "commotion" at bottom—dust, possibly from windy day
- Wind was blowing hard
- Clear sunny sky otherwise—just a few clouds scattered over area
- Noise was a roar, not a blast, not like a jet
- Changed from high frequency to low frequency and then stopped
- Roar lasted possibly ten seconds—was going towards it at that time on rough gravel road
- Saw flame about as long as heard the sound
- Flame same color as best as recall
- Sound distinctly from high to low until it disappeared
- Both car windows were down
- No other spectators noted—no traffic except car in front
- Car in front might have heard it but possibly did not see it because too close to hill
- After roar and flame, did not note anything while going up somewhat steep rough hill toward flame site
- Got up about half way first time, wheels started skidding
- Roar still going on, had to back down and try twice again before made the hill
- Hill about sixty feet long, fairly steep and with loose gravel and rock
- While beginning third time, noise and flame not noted
- After got to top, traveled slowly on gravel road westwardly
- Noted nothing for awhile, for possibly ten or fifteen seconds
- Went slow, looking around for dynamite shack
- Did not recall exactly where dynamite shack was
quotes
- "Noise was a roar, not a blast. Not like a jet." | sound characterization
- "Changed from high frequency to low frequency and then stopped." | frequency change
- "Roar lasted possibly ten seconds--was going towards it at that time on the rough gravel road." | duration and movement
- "Hill about sixty feet long, fairly steep and with loose gravel and rock." | terrain description
Page 30
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page_descriptionContinuation of Officer Zamora's account documenting sound progression during hill climb and resuming search for flame location.
dates1964-04-24 | date and time of incident
observations
- Noise was a roar, not a blast, not like a jet
- Changed from high frequency to low frequency and then stopped
- Roar lasted possibly ten seconds—was going towards it at that time on rough gravel road
- Saw flame about as long as heard the sound
- Flame same color as best as recall
- Sound distinctly from high to low until it disappeared
- Both car windows were down
- No other spectators noted—no traffic except car in front
- Car in front might have heard it but possibly did not see it because car in front was too close to hill in front, to see the flame
- After roar and flame, did not note anything, while going up somewhat steep rough hill toward flame site
- Got up about half way first time, wheels started skidding
- Roar still going on, had to back down and try twice again before made the hill
- Hill about sixty feet long, fairly steep and with loose gravel and rock
- While beginning third time, noise and flame not noted
- After got to top, traveled slowly on gravel road westwardly
- Noted nothing for awhile, for possibly ten or fifteen seconds
- Went slow, looking around for dynamite shack
- Did not recall exactly where dynamite shack was
quotes
- "Noise was a roar, not a blast. Not like a jet." | sound characterization
- "Changed from high frequency to low frequency and then stopped." | frequency progression
- "Roar lasted possibly ten seconds--was going towards it at that time on the rough gravel road." | duration and witness movement
- "Sound distinctly from high to low until it disappeared." | sound characteristic
- "After the roar and flame, did not note anything, while going up the somewhat steep rough hill toward the flame site." | search continuation
- "Hill about sixty feet long, fairly steep and with loose gravel and rock." | terrain description
- "While beginning third time, noise and flame not noted." | third attempt observation
Page 31
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doc_typereport
classificationnone visible
page_descriptionWitness account of an unidentified flying object sighting in Socorro, describing the object's appearance, movement, and attempts to follow it.
observations
- Suddenly noted a shiny-type object to south, about 150 to 200 yards, off the road
- Object appeared at first to stop, looked like a car turned upside down
- Thought some kids might have turned over; saw two people in white coveralls very close to object
- When first saw object (when thought it might be a car), saw what appeared to be two legs of some type extending from object to ground
- At that time didn't pay much attention to what it was; thought it was an accident
- Didn't pay attention to the two "legs"; they were at bottom of object, slanted outwards to ground
- Object might have been about three and a half feet from ground at that time
- Started moving car towards them quickly with idea to help; stopped about only a couple seconds
- Object was like aluminum, whitish against the mess background but not chrome
- Seemed in shape and at first glance took it to be an overturned white car
- Car appeared turned up like standing on edge
quotes
- "Suddenly noted a shiny type object to south" | witness
- "It was off the road. At first glance, stopped. It looked, at first, like a car turned upside down." | witness
- "The object might have been about three and a half feet from the ground at that time." | witness
Page 32
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page_descriptionContinuation of witness account describing details of the object's characteristics, sounds heard, and witness response.
observations
- On radiator or on trunk at first glance (where the object/car was)
- Only time saw the two persons was when stopped, for possibly two seconds or so, to glance at object
- Didn't recall noting any particular shape or possibly any hats or headgear
- These persons appeared normal in shape but possibly they were small adults or large kids
- Paid attention to road while drove towards scene
- Radioed to sheriff's office, "Socorro 2 to Socorro, possible 10-44 (accident); I'll be 10-6 (busy) out of the car checking the car down in the arroyo"
- Stopped car, was still talking on radio, started to get out, miles fell down, reached back to put up mike, then replaced radio mike in slot, got out of car and turned to go down to where knew the object (car) was
- As miles fell, got out of car at scene area
- Heard about two or three loud "thumps," like someone possibly hammering or shutting a door or doors hard
- These "thumps" were possibly a second or less apart; this was just before the roar
- The persons were not seen when got up to the scene area
quotes
- "Socorro 2 to Socorro, possible 10-44 (accident); I'll be 10-6 (busy) out of the car checking the car down in the arroyo." | witness to radio
- "Heard about two or three loud thumps, like someone possibly hammering or shutting a door or doors hard." | witness
Page 33
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page_descriptionWitness describes sounds from the object (roaring noise), the object's motion, flame characteristics, and physical appearance.
observations
- Hardly turned around from car when heard roar (was not exactly a blast), very loud roar—at that close was real loud
- Not like a jet—known what jets sound like
- Started low frequency quickly, then roar rose in frequency (higher tone) and in loudness—from loud to very loud
- At same time as roar saw flame; flame was under the object
- Object was starting to go straight up—slowly up
- Object slowly rose straight up; flame was light blue and at bottom was sort of orange color
- From this angle, saw what might be the side of object (not end, as first noted)
- Difficult to describe flame; thought from roar, it might blow up
- Flame might have come from underside of object, at middle, possibly a four feet area—very rough guess
- Can not describe flame further except blue and orange
- No smoke, except dust in immediate area
- As soon as saw flame and heard roar, turned away, ran away from object but did turn head several times towards object
- Dumped leg on car—back fender area
- Car facing southwest
- Glasses fell to ground, left them there
- Ran to north—car between him and object
observations
- Object was oval in shape; it was smooth—no windows or doors
- As roar started, it was still on or near ground
- Noted red lettering of some type, like [circled marking]
quotes
- "Not like a jet—known what jets sound like." | witness
- "Flame was light blue and at bottom was sort of orange color." | witness
- "Can not describe flame further except blue and orange." | witness
Page 34
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page_descriptionWitness continues account describing the object rising, its altitude changes, and the witness's continued attempts to track it.
observations
- Insignia was about two and one-half feet high and about two feet wide, guess; was in middle of object, like oval marking
- Object still like aluminum-white
- After fell by car and glasses fell off, kept running to north with car between him and object
- Glanced back couple of times
- Noted object to rise to about level of car, about twenty to twenty-five feet, guess—took about six seconds when object started to rise and witness glanced back
- Ran about half way to where witness ducked down—about fifty feet from the car is where witness ducked down, just over edge of hill
- Witness guessed about twenty-five feet when witness glanced back and saw object about level with car and it appeared about directly over the place where it rose from
- Was still running and jumped just over the hill—stopped because didn't hear roar
- Was scared of the roar and had planned to continue running down the hill
- Turned around toward the object and at same time put head towards ground, covering face with arms
- Being that there was no roar, looked up and saw object going away from him, in a southwest direction
quotes
- "Insignia was about two and one-half feet high and about two feet wide, guess." | witness
- "Took about six seconds when object started to rise and I glanced back." | witness
- "I was scared of the roar, and I had planned to continue running down the hill." | witness
Page 35
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page_descriptionWitness describes the ending of the roaring sound, final observations of the object, and his subsequent actions.
observations
- When roar stopped, heard a sharp tone whine from high tone to low tone
- At end of roar was this whine and the insignia was about two and one-half feet high and about two feet wide, guess
- Was in middle of object, like oval marking
- Object still like aluminum-white
- After fell by car and glasses fell off, kept running to north with car between him and object
- Glanced back couple of times
- Noted object to rise to about level of car, about twenty to twenty-five feet, guess—took about six seconds when object started to rise and witness glanced back
- Ran about half way to where witness ducked down—about fifty feet from the car
- Witness glanced back and saw object about level with car and it appeared about directly over the place where it rose from
- Still running and jumped just over the hill—stopped because didn't hear roar
- Scared of the roar and had planned to continue running down the hill
- Turned around toward the object and at same time put head towards ground, covering face with arms
- Being that there was no roar, looked up and saw object going away from him, in a southwest direction
- When roar stopped, heard a sharp tone whine from high tone to low tone
- At end of roar was this whine
quotes
- "When the roar stopped, heard a sharp tone whine from high tone to low tone." | witness
- "I turned around toward the object and at same time put my head towards ground, covering my face with my arms." | witness
Page 36
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doc_typereport
classificationnone visible
page_descriptionWitness describes the object's departure, his pickup of his glasses, and his subsequent radio communication and actions.
observations
- Whine lasted maybe a second
- Then there was complete silence about the object; that's when witness lifted up head and saw object going away from him; it did not come any closer to him
- It appeared to go in a straight line and at same height—possibly ten to fifteen feet from ground
- It cleared the dynamite shack by about three feet
- Shack about eight feet high
- Object was traveling very fast
- It seemed to rise up and take off immediately across country
- Ran back to car and as ran back, kept an eye on the object
- Picked up glasses (left the sunglasses on the ground), got into car, and radioed to Nep Lopez, radio operator, to "look out the window, to see if you could see an object"
- Nep asked, "What is it?"
- Answered, "It looks like a balloon"
- Didn't know if Nep saw it
- If Nep looked out his window, which faces north, he couldn't have seen it
- Didn't tell him at the moment which window to look out of
- As was calling Nep, could still see the object
- Object seemed to lift up slowly and to "get small" in the distance very fast
- It seemed to just clear the Box Canyon or Six Mile Canyon Mountain
- It disappeared as it
quotes
- "Whine lasted maybe a second. Then there was complete silence about the object." | witness
- "It looks like a balloon." | witness to Nep Lopez
- "What is it?" | Nep Lopez
- "It seemed to just clear the Box Canyon or Six Mile Canyon Mountain." | witness
Page 37
View PDF ↗statushas_content
doc_typereport
classificationnone visible
page_descriptionBrief note indicating the witness and Sergeant Chavez went to the spot where the object was seen and Sergeant Chavez pointed out the tracks.
observations
- Went over the mountain; it had no flame whatsoever as it was traveling over the ground and no smoke or noise
- Can't tell how long saw object second time (the "close" time), possibly twenty seconds—just a guess—from time got out of car, glanced at object, ran from object, jumped over edge of hill, then got back to car and radioed as object disappeared
quotes"Sergeant Chavez and I went to the spot, and Sergeant Chavez pointed out the tracks." | witness
Page 39
View PDF ↗statusno_content
page_descriptionPage contains only a document reference number at top (62-8389/+-259) and is otherwise blank.
Page 40
View PDF ↗statushas_content
doc_typediagram/sketch
classificationnone visible
page_descriptionHand-drawn diagram showing the geometric positions and measurements related to the UFO sighting incident.
observations
- Diagram shows witness position marked as boxes numbered #2, #3, and #4
- Multiple measurements noted: "9'4"", "6'4"", "20'", "9'6"", "6'4"", "10½", "14'9½"", "10"
- Labels include "DIRT BURN", "DIRT BURN", "GENERAL AREA OF FOOTPRINTS"
- Lines connecting positions show distances and sight lines
- Sketch appears to map out the relative positions of witness, object, and physical features at Socorro location