8 Mi SW of Seminole, TexasDecember 1960

# Summary

In December 1960, residents of the Seminole area in West Texas began reporting an unusual object in the sky. The sightings prompted an investigation that would eventually involve multiple Air Force bases. The object was described as brilliant yellowish-orange and round, about the size of a half dollar when viewed at a distance. Witnesses said it rotated like a beacon, completing about 60 rotations per minute and casting a very bright beam. The object appeared 2 to 3 degrees above the horizon before vanishing instantly.

The sightings occurred at various times between early morning and late evening, and witnesses reported seeing the object in both clear and cloudy weather. Some people who reported seeing it at close range said they also observed small red and green lights. Notably, several witnesses mentioned that commercial and shortwave radios lost all sound when the object was in the area, and television interference occurred during the sightings. No sound from the object itself was ever reported.

In mid-December, investigators from Reese Air Force Base and Webb Air Force Base responded to the reports. A team of Air Force officers actually observed something matching the witnesses' descriptions. Three officers from Reese made sightings on December 13 and 14. The Webb investigators concluded that the local residents and the three Air Force officers had all witnessed objects they had never seen or known from previous experience.

However, the investigators' final assessment offered a straightforward explanation. Three days after the initial sighting, a T-33 aircraft flew over the area and spotted a rotating beacon mounted on a 50-foot pole. This beacon had the same characteristics as what witnesses had described seeing in the sky. Weather conditions at the time of the sightings featured a low ceiling of 100 to 200 feet and visibility of only half a mile. The investigators suggested that under these poor weather conditions, the witnesses may have been seeing this ground-based rotating beacon in an unusual way for the first time. They concluded it was probable that the reported object was simply the rotating beacon. The Air Force officially rated this case as unknown, though the file indicates investigators considered the rotating beacon explanation likely. This case file comprises 12 pages held by the National Archives.