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
200	1950/21 Mar	1320	1	Unk	Sandia Base, New Mexico	E to SW	App 45° above horizon 2 objects silver	None	10 mts	None	Round	App size of dime at arm's length	Excessive to jet flight	Gradually faded from view	(2)
201	21 Mar	1300	1	Unk	Sandia Base, New Mexico	NE to SE	40,000-60,000' Varied from shiny silver to shady gray	None	30 mts	None	Round	Size of end of thumb at arm's length	About same as jet aircraft	Disappeared	(2)
202	21 Mar	1315	1	Unk	Sandia Base, New Mexico	E	75° above horizon White	None	5 mts	None	Round	Smaller than fist at arm's length	App. 600-700 mph	Disappeared from range of vision	(2)
203	21 Mar	1300 1330	4	Unk	Kirtland AFB, New	SE to S	40°-50° above horizon	Zig-zag motion up & down	Bright silver	None	1 mt	None	Round	Size of dime at arm's length	About same as fast jet aircraft	Disappeared from range of vision	(2)
204	22 Mar	1100	11	Unk	Kirtland AFB, New Mexico	NW changing to N	25,000 to 30,000'	Horizontal	Tan to brown	None	5-6 secs	None	Flying wing	About size of golf ball held at arm's length	Extremely high speed	Disappeared	(2)