Biggs, AFB, TexasMarch 1960

Insufficient Data

Summary

On the morning of March 25, 1960, three U.S. Air Force sentries standing guard at Biggs Air Force Base in El Paso, Texas, witnessed an unusual flying object traveling at extremely high speed across the sky.

The three airmen on duty at the alert aircraft area reported seeing a round object that glowed bluish white, roughly the size of a half-dollar held at arm's length. The witnesses described the object as moving very fast and making a sound like a child's spinning top with holes in it. The object traveled generally from west-southwest to east-northeast and remained visible for approximately four seconds. None of the observers reported seeing a tail, trail, or exhaust coming from the object.

The sighting occurred at 1050 (2:50 a.m. local time). Weather conditions at the time were good, with high overcast skies and excellent visibility. The Air Force's Biggs Air Force Base investigation included interviews with relevant personnel and coordination with nearby military installations, including White Sands Missile Range, Holloman Air Force Base, and the 1500th AACS Squadron. None of these facilities reported any unusual activity or aircraft operations at the time of the sighting.

Based on all available information gathered during the investigation, Air Force personnel concluded that the object responsible for the sighting was probably a bolide, a type of bright meteor. The early morning hour when the sighting occurred likely explains why no other witnesses came forward to report the incident.

The full case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives, 16 pages.

Reported location

Biggs, AFB, Texas

Date of incident

March 1960

State / country

TX / US

Page count

30 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unknown

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 38

Original case file scans

Original case file · scanned by NARAPage 1 of 30

View transcribed text

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MGUY PLE SIGHTING PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD
1. DATE @ LOCATION Gl CONCLUSIONS
AL Mane hn 1 G40 ioos LFS Tea XAas 0 Vas Balloon
¢H arch, 1.90( | LEES, Alo, 18Xad E Prohably Belloon
i BAN red AAA ln bd ans ns chee ns ini et SA bt nm os eA it i Sb i a 2-1)
3. DATE-TIME GROUP | 4 TYPE OF OBSERVATION A dd Bila |
: i YB Gr ra M Ra 0 Was Aircraft
Lael es EEL | XX Ground-Visual Ground-Radar 0 Probably Airerats
emt 10 pba. EAS RRER NE 0 Air Visual 0 Air-Intercept Radar e Possibly Aircraft
Bi Seo —— SS al IA 4 BRA
5. PHOTOS 8. SQURCE : a’ Was Astronomical Plete ox
DO Yes WAT 01 Probably Astronomico!
F No Military OQ Possibly Astronomical :
7. LENGTH OF C23ERVATION |s. NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9. COURSE OWE
: Xe Hn 0 lasufficient Data for Evaluation
L seconds | one WSW to ENE 0 Unknown
10. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING 11. COMMENTS :
Three obs=arvers, military, sentries on duty All available information noints to
1 outerved round object glowing bluish-winite identification of the object as a
CEE a 4 ; & 2 : : 1 0" Ly §
without tail or exhaust. Accompanied by sourfd "“obolide class of meteor.
like whirring childs top with holes in side
liir'0 seemed to fade in distance.
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h ———— Ts A _— ————— C—O  — — —————— A — A ———. a Bo — ST —— 7 lO AAP SA MN AA 8 PES A 1 RPS A S2 S B  S GA B /
ATIC FORM 327 (REV 26 SEP 52) /
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Source: National Archives Catalog · NAID 28986305