[ILLEGIBLE], [ILLEGIBLE]Date unknown

On the evening of December 13, 1949, a special agent with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations witnessed an unusual object while driving southwest of Alamogordo, New Mexico, toward Holloman Air Force Base. The sighting lasted approximately nine minutes, beginning at 2008 hours (8:08 p.m.) as the agent traveled on U.S. Highway 70. Two companions, including a family member, also observed the phenomenon.

The object appeared circular, like a street light, and changed colors repeatedly, shifting from white to amber to red to green, with flames shooting from various points on its surface. The agent estimated it hovered roughly 75 miles away and about 5,000 feet above the ground. For the first five minutes, the object remained stationary. It then began moving slowly downward and to the right, descending at a rate of about one degree per minute. In the final three-quarters of a second of observation, the object accelerated sharply, taking on a brilliant green color before fading from view. The agent noted that the object did not disappear behind any natural or man-made obstacle, but simply vanished into the brightening green glow.

The investigation involved checks with multiple base facilities. The Electronics and Atmosphere Branch at Holloman Air Force Base reported no instrument readings during the sighting window. The Base Weather Station confirmed no unusual weather conditions and no balloons or other objects aloft in the area. The Operations and Projects Division and White Sands Proving Ground confirmed no testing devices had been launched in the vicinity. No additional witnesses were identified beyond those in the vehicle.

The file notes the agent was reliable and acutely conscious of obtaining accurate information, having observed similar green "shooting stars" in the preceding year. The case was closed by the 17th District Office of Special Investigations on January 17, 1950, and forwarded to the Commanding General of the Air Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The Air Force evaluation of the sighting does not appear in these pages. The full case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives across nine pages.