Seligman, New MexicoJune 1949

On the afternoon of June 30, 1949, a civilian veterinary meat inspector standing in open country about 29 miles west and 14 miles south of Seligman, New Mexico, looked up and saw a dull grey, circular object moving through a clear sky. The object appeared to be about 13 inches across when viewed from an estimated distance of 12 miles, traveling northward in a straight, level path. The observer watched it for 8 seconds before it passed out of sight, estimating its speed at 2,000 miles per hour or faster. He heard no sound from the object and noticed no trail or exhaust. When interviewed by military investigators two days later, on August 2, the observer struck them as intelligent, steady, and careful. He said he had seen meteors before and was certain this was not one. He wore no glasses and observed the object with his naked eye, which he reported was 20/20 vision.

The case file includes reports from other observers near White Sands Proving Ground in New Mexico made around the same time, with one Air Force technician claiming to have seen a similar object through a telescope used to track V-2 test rockets. The technician reported seeing what he described as a metallic object that made sharp turns and maneuvered for about 10 seconds. Some officers offered explanations ranging from weather balloons to optical illusions created by distant aircraft. The file notes that while these reports had generated discussion among base personnel, they had "actually proved nothing, merely added to the mystery."

The U.S. Air Force classified this case as "unidentified" but also marked it as a possible "meteor" in some documents. The full case file, containing 19 pages of investigation records, sketches, and witness statements, is reproduced below as held by the National Archives.