Project Blue Book desk file, Socorro (217 pages)

UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECT REPORT
SOCORRO, NEW MEXICO, 24 APRIL 1964
On April 24, 1964, a Socorro, New Mexico policeman, Mr Lonnie Zamora, reported
sighting an object about a mile south of the tovn at approximately 5:45 pm, in an
unpopulated area full of hills and gullies and covered with sagebrush. Following
is a summary of his report to Air Force investigators:
Mr Zamora rePorted that while chasing a speeding car north on US 85, he heard a roar
and saw fle.llies in an area where a dynruni te shack vas known to be located. He aban-
doned chase of the auto and proceeded to where he believed an explosion had occurred.
After traveling a little-used road and experiencing considerable difficulty in t~ng
to drive .his car up a gravel-covered hill, he said he then obserVed what he thought
was an overturne-d car standing on end. At . this point he vas about 800 ft distant
from the object and his car was at the crest of a hill with the object ahead of him
in a gully. He reported that during this first glance he sav one or two figures in
coveralls whom · he assumed to be occupants of the object. This is the only time he
sav these figures; he did not see them again. After radioing to Police Headquarters
at Socorro that he was proceeding to investigate what he believed to be an auto
accident, he drove to a point about 150 ft from the gully where the obje~t rested
and stopped the car to proceed on foot. He said the object vas white, egg or oval-
shaped and apparently supported on girderlike legs. He said he heard a roar and sav
smoke and flame coming from the bottom of the object. At this point, . Mr Zamora be-
lieved that the object vas about to explode and he became frightened, turned, and
ran to shield himself behind the police car, bumping his leg and losing his glasses
on the way. He said that he crouched dovn, shielding his eyes with his arm while the
noise stopped and he glanced up. He reported that the object had risen to a point
about 15-20 ft above the ground and the flame and smoke had ceased. At this point, he
reported, he noted a design on the object which he described as markings in red about
1 to 1! ft in height, shaped like a crescent with a v~rtica~ arrow an~ horizontal line
underneath. He stated that the object remained stationary for sev~ral seconds and
then flev off in a southerly direction following the contou~ o~ the ~lly.
Within moments afterward, Sgt Chavez of the Nev Mexico State Police ~rriYed on the
scene in response to Mr Zamora ta earlier radio call. He observed no object,. but he
reported that there vere some slight depressions in the ground and apparently burned
brush in the area where Mr Zamora had reported seeing the object. The brush vas
cold to the touch. Sgt Chavez reported the incident to local military authorities
who conducted the initial investigation.
The Air Force sent investigators from their project office at Wright-Patterson AFB,
Ohio. The investigation disclosed the following facta: ·
No other witnesses to the object reported by Mr zamora could be located.
There were no unidentified helicopters or aircraft in the area.
Observers at radar installations had OQserved no unusual or unidentified blips.
I
There vas no unusual meteorological activity; no thunderstorms. The weather
vas windy but clear.Rob Mercer