Incident #274 Sighting Report — Los Alamos, New Mexico, 2 March 1949

This document details an Unidentified Aerial Phenomena sighting reported as Incident #274, which occurred on March 2, 1949, at 0010 hours in Los Alamos, New Mexico. The witness, an inspector for the Atomic Energy Security Service (AESS) stationed at Ground Station 103, observed a single, dim, self-luminous light in the sky. According to the witness statement, the object was traveling in a horizontal plane from north to south. The observer noted that the object appeared to be moving very fast, covering approximately half of their field of vision (estimated at 90 degrees) in about two seconds before disappearing behind trees. The weather conditions at the time were described as a thin overcast at 20,000 feet. The report includes standard investigation forms and a formal statement addressed to Lt. Earls D. Hightower, the Operations Officer for the Protective Force. The document concludes with an official assessment identifying the object as an 'Astro(meteor)'. The report emphasizes the observer's professional background, noting that their position as an AESS inspector required standard security clearances.