Project Blue Book desk file, Socorro (217 pages)

UFO sighting.- '!he data was collected and no positive conclusion
reached. On Tuesday I re April 1964, Capt Quintanilla directed
Doctor J All.en Hynek to Socorro to obtain additional data. Com-
posite resul:ts ot the investigation by Capt Holder, Sgt ~Y,
Dr Hynek snd Major Conner indicated that the attached narrative
_depicts the true circumstances ot the sighting.
b. Specific Findings from ·Efi'orts to Date:
(1) On the evening of' 24 April 1964 Sgt Chavez of' the
Bev Mexico State Police accompanied by .Agent Burns of the FBI and
Capt Richard Bolder conducted a sea..l'"Ch of the area surrounding the
aighting. 'lhere vere no auto.:nobile tire markings or markings of
any sort 1n the area other than those located at the site of the
alleged lending and so noted in Capt Holder's report.
(2) Radioactivity: Hajor Conner and Sgt f.~ checked
the area tor radiation. There \laS no radioactivity in the area
of the sighting.
(3) Helo Activity: A Check vas made to determine it
any helicopter activity was in the area at the approximate time
ot the sighting. 'lhis check was conducted at l-!11 te Sands by
Capt Bolder Wo .talked with the pilots and operational personnel.
All helicopters at ~ te Sands vere in the hangars at the time of
the aighting. Sgt ~ checked all J..RS helicopters at Kirtland
AFB and the landing gear did not coincide vith the marks on the
ground. Belo activity wea ch~cked within a radius of 300 miles
1nclud1 ng Biggs AFB at El Paso vith negative results. All mi 11tary
helos including those associated with Project Cloud Gap have been
eliminated as a possible cause of t!le sighting. However 1 civilian
helicopter activity ..as not ccmpletely detennined.
(4) Radar SUrvellance of the Area: Capt Holder contacted
radar sites at \Jiite Sands and Al!iili8ordo. He was i.n:f'onned that ·
there wss no unidentified activity in the area during the time ot
the sighting.
(5) . Soil Samples: '!be soil samples obtained at the sighting
vere g1:ven to Dr J Allen Hynek by Capt Holder. '!hey were turned
over to Captain Quintanilla 'Who in turn submitted them tO ASD for
analysis. Laboratory analysis of the soil was completed on 19 May 64.
It included spectrographic analysis wicb revealed that there vas no
foreign material in the soil samples. Also, no chemicals were
detected in the charred or burned soil vhich vould indicate a type
o~ propellant. 'lbere was no aign:iticant difference in elemental
CClmpOSition bet\reen the different semplea.
2Rob Mercer