Project Blue Book Case File
ROSWELL, NEW MEXICOFebruary 1952
Summary
On February 17, 1952, a B-29 bomber crew near Roswell, New Mexico sighted an unusual aerial object. The aircraft was flying at 12,000 feet on a training mission when the pilot, the instructor pilot, and the bombardier all saw a greenish-blue ball of fire approximately three feet in diameter. The object appeared about one mile ahead of the aircraft and roughly 15,000 feet high. It traveled on a straight path in a southeasterly direction and remained visible for only about two seconds before disappearing. The crew noted that the object did not behave like a meteor, had no streaks or sparks typical of meteors, and was observed by experienced airmen who were all stationed in the nose section of the aircraft. Weather conditions at Walker Air Force Base at the time were clear with fifteen miles of visibility, calm winds, and a temperature of 34 degrees Fahrenheit.
The Air Force classified this sighting as unidentified. While the case file documents the initial reports and follow-up inquiries to various Air Force bases, it does not contain a definitive explanation for what the crew observed. The file does include references to other related sightings in California around the same period in February 1952, though OCR quality in those sections makes detailed analysis difficult.
The full case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives, comprising 21 pages.
Reported location
ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO
Date of incident
February 1952
State / country
NM / US
Page count
21 scanned pages
USAF evaluation
unidentified
Microfilm
T1206, Roll 9