Incident #276 Sighting Report — Los Alamos, New Mexico, 8 March 1949

This document is a collection of reports and correspondence regarding an unidentified aerial phenomenon observed on March 8, 1949, at 1836 hours near the Los Alamos Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) area in New Mexico. The incident, designated as Incident #276, involved observations by two security inspectors, W. E. Patterson and Leonard Lang, both of the Atomic Energy Security Service (AESS). The witnesses reported seeing a bright, self-luminous object, described as having a greenish-white light and an elliptical shape resembling the fuselage of a German ME 109 aircraft. The object was observed traveling from south to north at an estimated altitude of 12,000 to 15,000 feet, descending at an angle of 45 to 60 degrees. Both observers were startled, initially fearing the object was a plane on fire about to crash. The object was seen for approximately 1 to 4 seconds before disappearing behind clouds or trees. The document includes formal correspondence between the Headquarters Fourth Army and the Air Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, requesting further investigation and standardized reporting. The reports emphasize the reliability of the observers, noting that their positions required high intelligence and stability. Despite the detailed descriptions provided by the witnesses, the document concludes with a handwritten note identifying the object as an 'Astro (meteor)'. The file contains multiple versions of the 'Guide to Investigation' forms, statements from the observers, and a sketch provided by Inspector Patterson illustrating the object's appearance and flight path relative to the window of his observation post.