Project Blue Book Case File
Indian Springs, NevadaMay 1961
Summary
On May 11, 1961, a weather observer at Nellis Air Force Base, near Las Vegas, Nevada, spotted a crescent-shaped silver object using a theodolite (an optical instrument used to track distant objects). The observer first noticed the object at approximately 1828 hours (6:28 p.m.). The initial sighting was visible for about four hours, during which the object appeared at altitudes estimated between 75,000 and 190,000 feet.
As the afternoon turned to evening, the Nellis weather team began tracking the object, and at around 2200 hours (10 p.m.), the Air Force Intelligence office at Nellis also witnessed the sighting through a theodolite. At approximately 2300 hours (11 p.m.), when the initial object faded beyond the tracking range of the weather station's equipment, the 865th Air Control and Warning Squadron, a radar unit operating under control of the Los Angeles NORAD Sector, took over with radar. Over the next few hours, the radar operators reported picking up a total of 57 separate targets on their scopes. The objects moved in all directions at variable speeds. The weather that day was clear but dusty, with surface winds between 27 and 38 knots. Checks with the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Weather Bureau found no unusual balloon releases or high-altitude operations scheduled.
Major Anthony Busalachi, the director of intelligence at Nellis, stated in his analysis that the sighting was "presumed to be a mother balloon device periodically launching other flying objects," though he noted the origin was unknown. When the Air Force's Aerospace Technical Intelligence Center reviewed the radar data, officials found the report lacked sufficient radar information for a detailed analysis. However, they did concur with the balloon assessment, noting that if Major Busalachi was working from "authoritative knowledge of the existence of such balloon devices," that conclusion seemed reasonable.
The full case file, comprising 9 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.
Reported location
Indian Springs, Nevada
Date of incident
May 1961
State / country
NV / US
Page count
9 scanned pages
USAF evaluation
unknown
Microfilm
T1206, Roll 42