Incident #175 — Unconventional Aircraft Sighted at Santa Fe, New Mexico

This document is a collection of reports and correspondence regarding a sighting of an 'unconventional aircraft' over Santa Fe, New Mexico, on September 23, 1948. The primary witness, a private pilot, reported observing a bright, white, oblong object at approximately 30,000 feet altitude. The witness, who was familiar with weather balloons, insisted the object was not a balloon. He described the object as having a blue glare to the rear and moving at an estimated speed of 700 to 800 miles per hour. The object appeared to move in a semi-circle before traveling from the northeast to the southwest. The investigation was conducted by the Office of Special Investigations (OSI) and involved interviews with the witness and his business associate. The reports highlight discrepancies between the two witnesses, particularly regarding the date of the sighting and the specific movements of the object. Official evaluations within the document suggest that the object was likely a balloon, despite the witness's insistence to the contrary. The file includes various administrative documents, including requests for further investigation, summaries of information, and the 'Essential Elements of Information' forms used by Project Sign to standardize reports of unidentified aerial phenomena. The documents reflect the military's systematic approach to investigating these sightings in the late 1940s, involving multiple commands and intelligence agencies.