Indian Springs & Las Vegas, NevadaSeptember 1961

On September 30, 1961, a weather observer at Indian Springs Air Force Base in Nevada picked up an unusual object on a theodolite (a surveying instrument used to track weather balloons and other airborne objects). The observer first spotted the object at 2:35 p.m. local time. By the time the sighting was reported, it had been visible for about an hour. A second theodolite operator at Nellis Air Force Base, about 45 miles northwest, also tracked the same object. The 855th Air Control and Warning Squadron, operating radar equipment near Mount Charleston, painted the object on their scopes as well.

The witnesses described the object as round in shape, white or metallic in color, and about the size of a pinhead when viewed from the ground. According to the reports, four to five smaller objects came away from a larger object during the sighting. The object traveled in a straight line at roughly 8 knots. Using triangulation from the two theodolite stations, the 855th Squadron calculated that the object was at an altitude of approximately 98 statute miles and was located about 45 miles southeast of Nellis Air Force Base at the time of the initial sighting.

Air Force officials checked for routine explanations. The FAA office at McCarran Airport in Las Vegas reported no unusual weather activity, balloon releases, or NOTAMs (notices to airmen) that could account for the sighting. The weather conditions that day were clear with unlimited visibility. A major with the Air Force's 520th Contingency Wing at Nellis stated that no analysis was possible given the available data.

The Air Force's official evaluation, recorded on the case form, listed the sighting as "unknown." The OCR text from the analysis sheet is too degraded to determine what conclusion the investigating officer ultimately reached. The full case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives, comprising 13 pages.