Case Directory - Category: 1; Distant Sighting
  
Subject:    AFOSI Case 24; Vertical Climb, Then Leveled Off
Date:        February 17, 1949
Location:  Albuquerque, NM


Francis Ridge:
This report is not an original BB unknown, but has been included in the Comprehensive Catalog of Project Blue Book Unknowns by Brad Sparks.

Cases 23 and 24 are apparently the same object viewed at different or overlapping times on its trajectory.  Case 23 is truck driver Herman Wilcox at about 6 PM (actually 5:57) from near Grants, NM, and Case 24 is UNM Prof. Marvin May at 5:57 PM from Albuquerque (who with his training in meteorite tracking with LaPaz has the more accurate time than the truck driver).  There were also about 100 guards at Sandia Base including the Officer of the Guard, sighting it at 5:59-6:06 PM evidently.

Univ. of NM Prof. of Civil Engineering Marvin May, an associate of Dr. Lincoln LaPaz in meteorite tracking, saw a brilliant white object in the W at 6° elevation at 5:57 p.m. for >6 mins.  Object was first round [1/3 Full Moon in size at this point apparently] then shifted to ellipse as it approached then appeared to be elongated like a bent pipe with corners, 1 Full Moon in length and 1/10 in width.  Object made slight climbing turn to the N, shifted to peach color [yellow-orange?] as it made rapid sharp turning climb to the S at the end, disappearing in cloudless sky by diminishing in size and brightness.  100 Sandia Base guards including Officer of the Guard saw a yellow-orange cigar or yellow-red cigar-shaped object for 7 minutes from 5:59 to 6:06 p.m.  (BB Maxwell Microfilm Roll 5, pp. 546-557, NARA Microfilm Roll 88, p. 401, Roll 91, p. 412;  FOIA;  Saunders/FUFOR Index) 9 mins 100+ 1 UNM Civil Engr Prof / meteorite tracker (LaPaz assoc.)


For reports, documentation, analysis or discussions - see below:

Feb 17, 1949; Albuquerque, NM. OSI Case 24 - NARA-PBB88-401,412 - BB Microfilm - Dan Wilson
Feb 17, 1949; Albuquerque, NM. OSI Case 23 & 24 - MAXW-PBB5-547-555 - BB Microfilm - Dan Wilson
Feb 17, 1949; Sandia Base, NM. OSI Cases 23 & 24 - MAXW-PBB5-582-585 - BB Microfilm - Dan Wilson
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