El Paso, TexasMay 1960

On the morning of May 29, 1960, multiple witnesses in and around El Paso, Texas saw a bright object streak across the sky just before dawn. The event lasted only a few seconds to about fifteen seconds depending on the observer's location. The object was round or slightly elongated, brilliant white with hints of red, orange, yellow, and blue. Several witnesses described a distinct tail or trail behind it. Most observers said the object appeared to travel on a fairly flat path from north to south before fading or burning out in the distance.

The sighting drew attention from civilians and military personnel alike. A civilian resident noticed the object first. Two El Paso police officers saw it and reported that the object broke into two pieces somewhere over Juarez, Mexico, with the larger piece continuing onward and the smaller piece falling toward the earth. Biggs Air Force Base personnel also observed the phenomenon, including three control tower operators. Additionally, the pilot of a T-33 aircraft flying over El Paso toward Webb Air Force Base reported seeing the object in front of his plane, about twenty degrees above the horizon.

The witnesses were interviewed separately and gave consistent descriptions overall. One observer, with a background in astronomy, timed the sighting at approximately ten seconds. Another said it lasted only two or three seconds, while control tower operators reported fifteen seconds or longer. The object appeared to break apart near the Rio Grande River, supporting multiple witness accounts of the event fragmenting during flight.

In their analysis, Air Force investigators concluded that the description closely matched that of a meteor or meteorite. Meteors are known to break apart and separate during atmospheric entry, which would explain why several observers reported the object splitting into pieces. The brightness, color, trajectory, and speed all aligned with meteorite behavior. The preliminary assessment found no information suggesting the object was anything other than an astronomical body, and the case was evaluated as "probably balloon" on the initial record card, though the investigative notes emphasize the meteorite explanation.

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