Documents / Report
This U.S. Department of War file combines security and green fireball records connected to Sandia Base, New Mexico, from 1949. It holds a 7 April 1949 security inspection reply from Detachment D, 1100th USAF Special Reporting Group, at Camp Campbell. It also holds Dr. Crozier's report on airborne copper particles collected after the July 24, 1949 Socorro fireball and Lincoln LaPaz's sixth report on luminous phenomena, both judged negative or inconclusive. The last part is an interim report on unusual lights seen by security personnel at Camp Hood, Texas, on 6 to 8 March 1949.
From the source: Release of 2026-05-22 Incident: 1948-1950, New Mexico. This file contains 116 pages of documentation from the Armed Forces Special Weapons Program (AFSWP) – the direct, post-World War II successor to the Manhattan Project – and from the U.S. Air Force – relating to a series of sightings and investigations in Sandia, New Mexico, from 1948-1950. This file contains 209 sightings of “green orbs,” “discs,” and “fireballs” reported near the military base. Witnesses reported unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) maneuvering, flying out of sight, disappearing, or exploding. The documents also include the results of contemporary investigations into residual copper powder found in some areas where sightings were reported. A few of these investigations became the basis for Project Grudge, which collected reports of unidentified flying objects from various other military installations – also included in this collection.
10:00 - 12:00 A. J.1. on .Tul.y 26th. At this eonterenoe it beceme ep:parent that Dr. Crozier wao 1nolln ed to attribute the unuauall7 large copper fragcenta collected on .Tuly 25 at 10,00 A..l!. (-.bich because ot their size could not h&vo been blown "fer, tar by aurtace 111.nds•) to particles blO\l'D. off the root or out ot the a uttere ot t he Aseaying Building on the Campus . In answer to e. queation from the writer , Dr. Crozier replied that he would oone1der this pose1b1llty ruled out it copper pm-tioles ob.owed up in colloctiono cade in t.he open oouum at considerable distance• trCX!l the Campus . It wao tharotoro recom?;.ended th~ such oolleotions be made @d Dr. Crosier and t•.r. Seely rigged up a atonge battery combination and B!llall D.O. J!!.Otor driven 1DlJ)aotmont collector- 11h1ch were loaded into the o.s.t. etat't car and driven out through San Antonio , Carthage , and B1ngbom, No •enco (this route passing, in ~ . Taf't' o opinion, throueh the region where pnrti~les tran tile tireball ot 1ul7 24th woo ld most probably have been oarr1ed by the Tery light win.do provatlins in the reg ion ainee the ino1- dent.) Four ot tho collections mode on th io trip W81"$ examined on tho eveniDg ot 1u.l.)- 26th by • Ben Seely an4 all were found to contain copper particles 1nd1stineu1chable trom :those colleotod. in Socorro at about the omne time. - (3) Pull detail.a on the mathod.e ot collection enployod by D:t-, Crozier end Mr. Seel.T and on lata:r examinations of ~e dust l)Eμ'ticles collected af'ter the graen tueballs or both J'ul.7 24th Cl1.4 August 6th are given 1n Dr, Crozier•• i-aport (R/D - tw, 8-10-49) copie11 of whieh are hereto appended. Dr; Crozier ' s tenta\1ve oonolusion trar:i study' ot the collections mal.e, not only in eonneotion with the incident o~ .July 24th, but also that o't Aucuat &tb, ts that •the reBUlte ot the prosont inveot1gaUon should be regarded as negative or inconclusive,• From anelys1a or hie r~ort (R/D - tw • 8- 10-49) end trom. several phone conYer satlona with Dr. Crozier, it io th e writer• belief' that Dr. Crozier was led to the abow conolwsion by the tollowing taote listed below 1n docreaelng arder or iq,ortance, md aooa:;ipanied by er!tioel OODn8ntat ' (.3.1) 'l'he d1scoverz by tests t:iade on or about kpt l of ., a few oo r indications~ 1n dust collected at Socorro on J 14 l.949 i .e. ten dgre betore the men fireball 1nc1den, ot J'uly 24th. Dr. Croz er baa 1n1"omed the writer that tbs oolleotion ot July 14th wns ·care:t'lllly wrapped up end could not have becom conte?!linated by copped dWlt '1h1oh blew 1n through the open win dows ot the n .D. &J>. Building at Socorro attar the 1no1dent ot July 24th. I!o'7- tner , there remains the poss1b111ty- that an 'Qllol:eerved or unreported green t ire- ball occurring in the Sooorro neighborhood ehortly before 1uly 14th put down the copper dust round 1n t.be July 14th colleottaa. To one tccn1l1ar with tb.c al.!nost uninhabited country, around Soeorro md t.he tact that green tireballe aa bright as the halt mon occurring at timea as favorable tor observation u '1 :)) - 8:30 P .u . have gone alriost unreported , 1t aecms quite likely that a green :t"ireball that tell arter midnight or during the daytime or while most or the s1.7 was overcast tlis bt go entirely unroported.) (:3.?.) The d1aore ane between the co.!!ll>uted an! observed rates of J.escent ot .er,· tine copper particles. A.9 Dr. Crozier notes , such d!screpon c1e• are Wl.deratandable •it eome dor.nward motion had taken place in part of the air involved.• Preo1sely wch dovm":18.rd tl.Otion oocurred in tha air near tho real paths ot the f'lreballs of 1uly 24th and 111-rost Gtb tor ttleoa to.Us were nenrly Tertioal. ll'urtbonloro tho best obaervatiOllB ot tho endpoints of these tireballa ple.ee 1hat ~ .T'117 :?4th at a bight ot ltl- l2 miles and that ot A!Jeust 6th at 5-6 milsB. 'l'he downward directed bill1st1o head wave therefore coald Yery easily have carried Dr. Orozier'a 145 hour particloe to m thin 10 ,000 teat of the earth atNND 58378
Report, from the pursue collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. 116 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.