Lake Mead, NevadaMay 1961

On the evening of May 25, 1961, a civilian employee at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada reported seeing a formation of unusual aircraft near his home northwest of Las Vegas. The man, who lived in a trailer north of the city, said he witnessed at least twelve objects in diamond formation hovering about three to five thousand feet above the ground, roughly five miles from his residence. This would have placed them approximately seven miles west of Nellis AFB.

The observer described the objects in detail. The lead ship appeared much larger than the others and had a racetrack or elongated shape. The remaining vessels were smaller and more oval. All of the craft displayed bright lights comparable to aircraft landing lights. The larger lead ship had six of these lights aimed downward, while the smaller craft each had four lights pointed forward. The witness watched for approximately ten minutes as the formation appeared to float and drift slowly up and down in place, seemingly without effort.

After this stationary orbit lasted about twelve minutes, the objects suddenly accelerated rapidly toward Boulder City to the southeast. The witness noted there was no visible exhaust and no sound from the craft. They remained visible for a total of about nineteen minutes before departing. The observer was described by his commanding officer, Captain Link, as honest, sincere, sober, and reliable. Weather conditions that night were clear, with a full moon, light winds, and visibility exceeding fifteen miles.

The investigating officers checked with military, Federal Aviation Administration, and Atomic Energy Commission records for any flying activity in the area that night. They found nothing to account for the sighting. Radar sites near Nellis AFB, including one at high elevation, failed to detect any returns that matched the objects' reported position or movement. The case file notes that the origin, type, power plant, and purpose of the observed objects remained unknown. The full case file, consisting of 8 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.