Project 10073 Record Card and Correspondence — Chama, New Mexico, December 1955

This document contains a collection of records regarding a UFO sighting reported by a railroad conductor near Sublette Station, New Mexico, on December 8, 1955. The witness, along with a companion named LeRoy Shell, observed a blue-gray, panel-truck-shaped object hovering 3-4 feet off the ground for approximately eight seconds. The object was described as having black pipes projecting from its sides and moving at a speed of 6-10 miles per hour before disappearing behind a clump of aspen trees. The witness later contacted military officials, including Colonel C. L. Heitman, Jr., and provided sketches and descriptions of the object. He also included a clipping from Life magazine featuring the 'Aerodyne,' an experimental wingless aircraft designed by Alexander Lippisch, suggesting it might be the type of craft he observed. The 4602d Air Intelligence Service Squadron (ADC) evaluated the report and concluded that the sighting did not warrant further investigation. Colonel John M. White Jr. noted that the report failed to meet investigative criteria and attributed the account to the 'definite overactive imagination' of the witness. The military's primary concern was to contain the report within the USAF to avoid 'unfavorable publicity.' The file includes the original record card, correspondence from the witness, and the official military assessment.