April 5, 1948 — Holloman AFB, NM
Afternoon. At Holloman AFB, near Alamogordo, New Mexico, three highly trained balloon observers (Joseph Olson, Johnson, and Chance) are working on a secret project for the Air Force’s Watson Laboratories. They see two objects. One observer follows one object, and the others follow the second as they diverge. All are certain that the objects aren’t balloons. They are large, whitish, roundish, very high, faster than any aircraft, and perform rapid, erratic motions. One object is lost at a low altitude. The other goes up quickly and seems to just disappear. The observation lasts about 30 seconds. The case is deemed important enough to send Alfred Loedding and one of Clingerman’s assistants, Lt. Col. James C. Beam (the head of Project Sign), to New Mexico to interview Project Mogul scientist James W. Peoples and the other witnesses. Unfortunately, they are gone when Sign arrives. (They are later interviewed at the USAF Watson Laboratory complex in Red Bank, New Jersey.) The witnesses are very sure of themselves and the case is classed as “Unidentified.” While at Holloman, Loedding and Beam talk with Lt. Herbert G. Markley, who has worked with the Watson team. Markley remembers one of them speaking of unusual radar returns from their equipment, but later the Watson personnel say that these were probably just “angels” (spurious echoes due to atmospheric microstructures, insects, equipment malfunction, or other stimuli). Markley does report that UFOs are seen around Holloman often. He himself has seen a disc in late August 1947 and flat, round aeroforms on at least two further occasions. [Eberhart]
SIGN Incident 122 Checklist:
SIGN Incident 122a Checklist:
SIGN Incident 122b Checklist:
Sources:
Sign Microfilm Roll 2, pp. 356-367;
Brad Sparks, Blue Books Unknowns Catalogue, Case 77, p. 33;
Edward Ruppelt, The Report on Unidentified Flying Objects, p. 71;
Loren E. Gross, The Fifth Horseman of the Apocalypse: UFOs, a History: 1948, The Author, 1988, pp. 24-27; [same as Jan-July 1948 orig ed]
Michael D. Swords, “Project Sign and the Estimate of the Situation,” JUFOS 7 (2000): 40–41;
NICAP, “Team Watches 35-Meter Disc”;
[documents relating to Loedding and Beam’s trip to Holloman AFB, May 5–6, 1948];
Project 1947, “Holloman AFB UFO Sightings”;
