Tierra Amarilla AFS, N. Mex., February 1957February 1957

Insufficient Data

Summary

On the night of February 13, 1957, radar operators at Tierra Amarilla Air Force Station in northern New Mexico detected two unidentified objects in the sky. According to the case file, both objects appeared roughly the size of a pea and displayed red, yellow, and green blinking lights. One object remained stationary while the second orbited around it.

An interceptor aircraft was scrambled to investigate. The aircraft made visual contact with one of the objects and pursued it for 25 nautical miles before the object broke away. Despite this close encounter, the interceptor pilot saw nothing on his own radar, and the aircraft did not establish visual contact with the unidentified objects.

The sighting lasted about two hours. Observers on the ground tracked the objects using electronic equipment, but no radar contact was confirmed during the intercept attempt. The Air Force noted several inconsistencies between the details of the sighting and what would be expected from a balloon, yet assigned the case a preliminary evaluation of "possible balloon." The investigating squadron acknowledged that certain details of the sighting did not fit a balloon hypothesis. The case file indicates that no field investigation was conducted and that the case remained incomplete due to insufficient data.

The full case file of 9 pages is reproduced below as held by the National Archives.

Reported location

Tierra Amarilla AFS, N. Mex., February 1957

Date of incident

February 1957

State / country

? / XX

Page count

9 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unknown

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 27

: LY | WR : : PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD ; | - [1 oateE 2. LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS via] 4 it ! O Was Balloon P| 13 February 1957 fides Apanilia AF, N.Mex, |B. Reebobly Basen ¢ | 3. DATE-TIME GROUP 4 TYPE OF OBSERVATION REALL Ro EEN : 2 BX Was Aircraft 1 LE ie re sm :Ground- Vi sual XX Ground-Radar Q Probably Aircraft RK GMT 13/11407 O Aim Visudl 0 Air-Intercept Radar D Possibly Aircraft y 5. PHOTOS ; 4. SOURCE O Was Astronomical { | 3 O Yes Oo Probably Astronomical i 4 i A/C Controller 0 Possibly Astronomical E 7. LENGTH OP.OBSERVATION 8. NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9. COURSE BG) (1 7 AER HAE 1 I | BX Insufficient Data for Evaluation Li ! 0 Unknown ' L 2 hours two not given ; & 10. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING 11. COMMENTS 3 Two objects size of pea, color red, Final report not forwarded. Case | | 2 yellow and green blinking lights, One carried as insufficient data. ¢ | E object anchored and one object orbit- BOE © - ing. One object escorted intercept Fo plane for 25 NM prior to breaking off. No visual air contact in intercept. NO 3 air radar cecntact, | i ATIC PORM 329 (REV 26 SEP 52) 8 + x!