Project 10073 Record: Sighting Report — El Paso, Texas, 15 April 1949

This document is a formal report concerning an unidentified aerial phenomenon observed on 15 April 1949, approximately 40 miles northeast of El Paso, Texas. The report was compiled by the 97th Bombardment Wing at Biggs Air Force Base and submitted to the Air Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Three witnesses, including a civilian branch manager, a housewife, and a USAF Captain, observed the object for approximately 15 minutes while traveling in an automobile. The witnesses described the object as initially rectangular and vertical, later changing orientation to a horizontal position, elongating, and eventually disintegrating. The object was estimated to be 50 feet long and appeared to be a light smoke color. The weather conditions were reported as clear and bright with unlimited visibility. Military investigators conducted inquiries with the White Sands Proving Ground and confirmed that no rocket launches had occurred at the time of the sighting. The official conclusion recorded on the Project 10073 form categorized the object as 'Other (CLOUD)'. The documentation includes multiple iterations of the report, correspondence between military headquarters, and a 'Guide to Investigation' form detailing the specific observations of the witnesses. The witnesses were noted by the interrogator as being of the 'highest character' and 'very intelligent'. The report also notes that one of the observers was wearing green polaroid glasses at the time of the sighting.