Report of Investigation: Fireball Sighted by [Name Redacted] and [Name Redacted] at 1935 hours MST, 4 December 1949

This document is a formal Report of Investigation issued by the 17th District Office of Special Investigations at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, dated 26 January 1950. It concerns a sighting of an unidentified aerial object, specifically described as a 'green fireball,' which occurred on 4 December 1949 at 1935 hours MST. The investigation was initiated following a report from a salesman at the New York Life Insurance Company in Albuquerque. A subsequent, more detailed account was provided by a second witness, a geodetic engineer employed at Holloman Air Force Base, who was noted for being 'well versed in astronomy' and considered 'extremely reliable' by the investigating office. According to the report, the object appeared round, roughly the size of a marble held at arm's length, and exhibited a 'slopping descent' while moving from east to west. The witness noted that the object emitted orange-to-white sparks from its lower rear edge, though the intensity of the center remained constant. The object eventually disappeared behind a building. The investigation included inquiries into potential conventional explanations. The Electronics and Atmosphere Research Branch at Holloman AFB confirmed that no radar was in operation at the time. The Base Weather Station reported no unusual meteorological conditions, and the Operations and Projects Division at Holloman, along with the Research Section of the White Sands Proving Ground, confirmed that no testing devices were aloft in the vicinity during the sighting. The report concludes with the file being closed, having documented the witness testimony and the lack of corroborating evidence for conventional aerial activity.