UAP Reported at Sandia Base, 1948-1950

This U.S. Department of War release compiles 1949 records tied to Sandia Base, New Mexico. It includes a Sandia Base security inspection reply and a W. D. Crozier letter to Lincoln LaPaz. It also contains Crozier and Seely's report on collecting airborne copper particles after the July 24, 1949 fireball near Socorro, which they judged negative or inconclusive. LaPaz's sixth report on green fireballs disputes parts of that finding, and a Fourth Army report describes unusual lights around the Q Area at Camp Hood, Texas, in 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.

Summary of Sightings of Unknown Aerial Phenomena, 17th District OSI (cont)

Number	Date	Time	Number of Observers	*Reliability of Observers	General Area of Occurrence	Apparent Direction of Flight	Apparent Altitude	Course Horizontal to Vertical	Color	Train or Trail	Duration of Observation	Sound	Shape	Apparent Size	Apparent Speed	Manner of Disappearance	**Evaluation
147	1949/19 Nov	2152	1	R	Los Alamos, New Mexico	Vertical Green 2 secs	None (1)
148	25 Nov	2000	5	R	Los Alamos, New Mexico	E to W	15°-10° above horizon	Downward 10° from the horizontal	Yellowish green 2 secs	None Disappeared behind mt.	(1)
149	27 Nov	1800	1	Unk	McIntosh, New Mexico	Vertical	Less than 2,000'	Vertical descent	Green	None	1 sec	None	Shaped like a flare	Same as a signal flare	Same as falling signal flare	Same as signal flare	(1)
150	27 Nov	1730	1	Unk	Winslow, Arizona	E to W	30° above horizon Bright blue-white	Yes	3-4 secs	None	Egg shape	Egg held at arm's length	3-4 secs to cover 15°-20° of horizon	Dwindled out	(1)
151	27 Nov	1749	1	R	Albuquerque, New Mexico	E to W	30°-5° above horizon	Sloping descent	Blue-white	None	1-2 secs	None	Round	Pencil eraser at arm's length	50°-70° in 1 or 2 secs	Went out then on then out again	(1)
152	27 Nov	1749	1	R	Socorro, New Mexico	E to W	100°-400° above horizon	Arc	Pale green to pale blue	Yes	5 secs	None	Round	Quite large	Slower than meteor	Faded out gradually	(1)