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Project Blue Book Socorro file

Internet Archive · 168 pages · text by GLM-OCR

This Project Blue Book file on the Socorro, New Mexico sighting, held by the Internet Archive, collects Air Force records and 1964 press clippings. It covers policeman Lonnie Zamora's April 24, 1964 report of an egg-shaped object with four legs, the scorched brush and ground depressions, and Dr. J. Allen Hynek's investigation. An Air Force summary says soil and brush analysis found no radiation or propellant and the case stayed open. Later New Mexico reports were judged known objects or hoaxes.

  • p. 1 …LOCATION Socorro, New Mexico 12. CONCLUSIONS □ Was Balloon □ Probably Balloon □ Possibly Balloon □ Was Aircraft □ Probably Aircraft…
  • p. 2 …the Air Force and night be attributed to the Socorro, New Mexico sighting. FOR THE COMMANDER
  • p. 3 …of Socorro. UFO experts from different parts of the country are in New Mexico to investigate…
  • p. 4 # 'Flying Saucer Reports Spread In New Mexico SANTA FE (UPI) - New Mexico's perennial addiction to…
  • p. 5 …Sam Chavez of the New Mexico State Police. They took six other men to the spot…
  • p. 7 …the special Unidentified Flying Object consultant to the Air Force, was sent to New Mexico after…
  • p. 8 …Adam's account was another of several such reports that have kept New Mexico and military…
  • p. 11 …Right on the edge of White Sands missile range on the wide open New Mexico desert…
  • p. 12 …rash of unidentified flying object sightings had New Mexico State Police, local law enforcement agencies and…
  • p. 14 # 'Flying Saucer Reports Spread In New Mexico SANTA FE (UPI) - New Mexico's perennial addiction to…
  • p. 17 …Right on the edge of White Sands Missile Range on the wide open New Mexico desert…
  • p. 18 …David Moody of the office already was in New Mexico and would assist Dr. Hynek in…
  • p. 19 April 25, 1964, when on the previous day at Socorro, New Mexico a policeman, Mr. Lonnie…
  • p. 20 Landing area at Socorro, New Mexico, taken April 25.
  • p. 21 MAY 6 1964 # New Sights Of Saucers ## Strange Objects Seen by Several Persons in New Mexico…
  • p. 22 …12 FEB 65 ## New Mexico APRIL 24, 1964, Socorro, New Mexico On April 24, 1964, a…
  • p. 23 …rash of unidentified flying object sightings had New Mexico State Police, local law enforcement agencies and…
  • p. 24 UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECT REPORT SOCORRO, NEW MEXICO, 24 APRIL 1964 On April 24, 1964, a Socorro…
  • p. 26 …David Moody of the office already was in New Mexico and would assist Dr. Hynek in…
  • p. 27 …My husband and I had talked about the thing the people saw in New Mexico, but…
  • p. 28 …in from all over the state of New Mexico and other parts of the west. It…
  • p. 29 # El Defensor SOCORRO: Inhabited Since 1540 Home of the Famed New Mexico VOL. 98 NO. 34…
  • p. 31 …reported concrete instance of a UFO in New Mexico. Policeman Zamora shifted from a routine task…
  • p. 35 # UFO Sighting, Socorro, New Mexico, 24 Apr 64 Hq USAF SAF0I PB (Mrs Gaiser) Wash D…
  • p. 46 …24 April 1964 Sgt Chavez of the New Mexico State Police accompanied by Agent Burns of…
  • p. 57 …Zamora observed on 24 April at Socorro, New Mexico. The object or vehicle displayed flight characteristics…
  • p. 73 …the April 24, 1964 sighting at Socorro, New Mexico, made by Lt. Zamora. I would very…
  • p. 74 …Bieberman 601 Pitch Avenue Socorro, New Mexico 87801
  • p. 78 ## NARRATIVE OF SOCORRO, NEW MEXICO SIGHTING, 24 APRIL 1964 Shortly after 5:30 pm on Friday…
  • p. 84 TDEW/UFO UFO Sighting Socorro, New Mexico 14 May 1964 Test Support Officer (Col K. Young…
  • p. 85 …835-9916 in Socorro New Mexico regarding the article appearing in the Socorro ElDefnnsor & Chieftan concerning…
  • p. 90 …about a hundred miles north of Socorro, New Mexico. Cloud Gap personnel did not have any…
  • p. 91 …reported subsequent to Socorro Sightings ## ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO AREA 25 Apr. Socorro Unidentified Observer. Rotating Navigation…
  • p. 93 …TO THE SOCORRO, NEW MEXICO SIGHTING: 1. 26,Apr 64, Grants,New Mexico sighting of a…
  • p. 103 …CONCLUSIONS 24 April 1964 Socorro, New Mexico □ Was Balloon □ Probably Balloon □ Possibly Balloon □ Was Aircraft □ Probably…
  • p. 105 …His theories as to why UFO's land in New Mexico lack, shall we say, a…
  • p. 106 …Ted Raynor, Editor, Socorro El Defensor Chieftan, Socorro, New Mexico, and he can send one of…
  • p. 124 # UFO REPORT Lonnie Zamora, 606 Resevoir Street, Socorro, New Mexico, 835-1134, Officer Socorro Police Force…
  • p. 131 ## REPORT ON SOCORRO NEW MEXICO TRIP On Tuesday, April 28, 1964, in response to a call…
  • p. 136 …SIGHTING AT SOCORRO, NEW MEXICO, 24 APRIL, CONTINUE TO BE RECEIVED FROM NEWS MEDIA, FROM THE…
  • p. 138 …while in Socorro, my old friend, Dr Jack Whothmen, President of the New Mexico School of…
  • p. 146 …Right on the ge of White Sands Mise Range on the wide en New Mexico desert…
  • p. 147 UFO Sighting, Socorro, New Mexico, 24 Apr 64 Hq USAF SAFOI PB (Mrs Gaiser) Wash 25…
  • p. 152 …The Sócorro report and another at La Madera in northern New Mexico were similar in that…
  • p. 153 …range, whose headquarters is near the central New Mexico town. ## Six Cars Derail; Rip Mile of…
  • p. 154 # ASTRONOMER TO NEW MEXICO # Flying Objects Area Probed SOCORRO, N.M.—(AP)—An astronomer from the…
  • p. 156 …landings in New Mexico in the past few days. "We are convinced the Socorro policeman saw…
  • p. 157 SOCORRO NEW MEXICO DATE: 24 APR 64 # Believes Intelligent Beings on UFOs Sighted in State TUCSON…
  • p. 159 …85 and New Mexico 180 and the object appeared to be about a quarter of a…
  • p. 160 …of Socorro. UFO experts from different parts of the country are in New Mexico to investigate…
  • p. 164 …Lincoln LaPaz of the University of New Mexico who has an international reputation in running down…
  • p. 165 …Hynek said he had not been told by the government whether sending him to New Mexico…
  • p. 167 …THE SOCORRO REPORT AND ANOTHER AT LA MADERA IN NORTHERN NEW MEXICO WERE SIMILAR IN THAT…
  • p. 168 # 'Flying Saucer Reports Spread In New Mexico SANTA FE (UPI) - New Mexico's perennial addiction to…

Read from the scan by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word.

Zamora and explained that he had taken the wrong road as was, IN fact looking in the opposite direction for a part of the time. Therefore, had the object been visible he would not have been in a position to see it. Sgt Chavez took polaroid pictures of the holes and area. These are available to us.

Following the interview with Sgt Chavez, Sgt Zamora was interviewed and a trip to the location made. All persons interviewing Zamora are impressed with his sincerity and are of the belief that if a hoax has been perpetrated Lonnie Zamora is definitely not a part to it. The object was described as white or "light in color and egg shaped." During the interview it was apparent that a visit to location was necessary to determine the time sequence of the event and the related motion of the object, as well as to obtain speeds and distance of flight. At approximately 4 pm we proceeded to the site, accompanied by two reporters from the local press. The sequence of events was repeated and total duration from the initial contact with the event to time of it's disappearance did not exceed 10 minutes. A gieger counter check for background radiation was made in the presence of the press and Sgt Zamora and no radioactivity count was present. The counter was checked with Major Conner's watch and found to be in good working order.

The following is a sequence of the event as reported by Lonnie Zamora. Shortly after 5 pm he was on patrol when he heard a noise that he thought to be an explosion of the Mayor's dynamite shack known to be in that direction. He turned off the road and proceeded to a point up a hill where he could see what looked like a car turned upside down with two white things he assumed to be the occupants of the car and he radioed this information to Police headquarters. He went down a hill where the object was not visible and had to make two tries to get up this hill in his car. As he came over the tope of the hill (about 300 yds from the object) it appeared to be a thing on four pronged legs and the two white things (described as coveralls) were no longer visible. Continuing to a point about 150 yds from the object he parked the car and got out and approached the object to a point about 100 ft. At this time the object made a rumbling noise or rattling noise and a blue flame like an arc welder turning to yellow or orange at the end came from the center of the bottom. The object was about the size of an auto and light colored, not reflective, but white or silver or just light colored. From this position the base of the craft was in the bottom of the gully and not visible to Lonnie Zamora. He thought the thing was going to explode and became frightened. He ran to a point behind his car, dropping his glasses on the way. He hid behind the car using his arm to shield his eyes. He remained in this position for not more than 10 seconds, at which time the noise stopped and his initial fear of the object lessened. He looked up and the object rose to a point of 15-20 ft altitude, with the legs still not visible. A Red marking was evident

About this file

Document, cited by the archive. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. The text was read from the page images by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word. 168 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.