Socorro, New Mexico: Lonnie Zamora's landing report

In their own words

“two people in white coveralls very close to the object. One of these persons seemed to turn and look straight at my car and seemed startled”

Evidence, in date order (5)

1. 1964Project Blue Bookofficial
   investigation ruling out helicopters and balloons, carried as Unidentified Project 10073 Record Card and investigation summary, Blue Book file (NICAP scans, pp. 1-25)
2. 24 Apr 1964Sgt. M. S. Chavez, New Mexico State Policeofficial
   on scene within minutes, pointed out the tracks Zamora's report from the Blue Book file (transcription)
3. 24 Apr 1964Landing site tracesphysical
   four depressions and burning brush measured by investigators Project 10073 Record Card and investigation summary, Blue Book file (NICAP scans, pp. 1-25)
4. 25 Apr 1964FBIdocument
   teletype recording burns and four depressions at the site FBI documents, 12 pp. (teletype 62-83894-436)
5. 1966Maj. Hector Quintanillaofficial
   called it the best-documented case on record Hector Quintanilla, "The Investigation of UFO's", *Studies in Intelligence* 10/4 (1966)

How plausible · Very high

A police officer's report backed by physical traces, a state trooper, an FBI teletype and Blue Book's Unidentified verdict.

• ●●
  Access Direct observation or instruments.
• ●●
  Cost of speaking Named on record.
• ●●
  No gain sought Nothing to gain.
• ●●
  Consistent over time Stable over time.
• ●●
  Character record Trained professionals.
• ●●
  Checkable details check out Released official records.

Plausibility weighs how well an account fits where secrecy hides the documents by design, so missing records never count against it. Strength measures what is documented. Assessed 2026-10-23.

On the record

• Zamora's own report (firsthand; Blue Book file, NICAP transcription). The main points: About 5:45 PM, chasing a speeding car south of the courthouse, he heard a roar and saw a "bluish and sort of orange" funnel of flame to the southwest. He thought the dynamite shack had blown up. Topping the hill, he saw "a shiny type object to south about 150 to 200 yards", which at first looked "like a car turned upside down". He saw "two people in white coveralls very close to the object. One of these persons seemed to turn and look straight at my car and seemed startled". They "appeared normal in shape — but possibly they were small adults or large kids". He radioed "possible 10-44 (accident)". He got out of the car and heard "two or three loud 'thumps'". Then came a loud roar, and the object "slowly rose straight up" on a flame "light blue and at bottom ... sort of orange". He described the object as "oval in shape ... smooth — no windows or doors", with red lettering or an insignia "about 2 1/2' high and about 2' wide". He ran, lost his glasses, and ducked over the edge of the hill. The object went away in a straight line at about 10-15 ft, cleared the dynamite shack "by about three feet", and seemed to "just clear the Box Canyon or Six Mile Canyon Mountain". He noted "brush was burning in several places". He saw "two legs of some type" slanting outward when he first saw the object. He drew the insignia before Sgt. Chavez arrived.
• New Mexico State Police Sgt. M. S. Chavez (the spelling varies: Chavez or Chaves) was on scene within minutes. Zamora says Chavez "pointed out the tracks" and told him he was "white, very pale".
• FBI teletype, 25 April 1964. The informant (redacted) is described as "considered sober, dependable, mature, not of fantasy". On scene, the redacted officers "noted four small irregularly shaped smouldering areas and four regular depressed areas approximately sixteen by six inches in rectangular type pattern averaging about twelve feet apart". Object: "oval shaped, similar to football, possibly twenty feet long, and had a red insignia about thirty inches high and two feet wide". "No other witnesses known to noise, flame or object." The commander of Stallion Range Center was advised. "Military presently conducting operation known as Cloud Gap ... Not known if above incident relates to Cloud Gap." The Albuquerque office was "conducting no investigation" and maintaining liaison with the military.
• Air Force summary, Blue Book file pp. 11-12. The main findings: A search the evening of 24 April by Sgt. Chavez, "Agent Byrnes of the FBI" and Capt. Richard Holder found no tyre marks or other markings "other than those located at the site of the alleged landing". Radioactivity: none (Maj. Conner, Sgt. Moody). Helicopters: all White Sands helicopters were in their hangars. Kirtland helicopter gear "did not coincide with the marks". Military helicopters within 300 miles, including those of Project Cloud Gap, were "eliminated". However, "civilian helicopter activity was not completely determined". Radar at White Sands and Alamogordo saw "no unidentified activity". Soil (lab analysis completed 19 May 1964): "no foreign material" and no propellant chemicals. VTOL aircraft and lunar modules: a lunar module configuration "conform[s] not only to the description of the object but also have girder like legs". "One known experimental model, constructed by Bell Aircraft Corporation, is located at Edwards AFB." No operational craft could be placed at Socorro. Additional witness. The *El Defensor Chieftain* of 28 April 1964 reported an unidentified tourist on US 85 who saw the UFO just before it landed. Mr. Opal Grinder of the Whiting Brothers Service Station confirmed by phone that he was the source. That is secondhand: tourist to Grinder to newspaper and Air Force. The tourist was not identified. Conclusion: "a sighting definitely did occur". The Air Force's statement for the press was that investigators "have not been able to identify or determine what type of vehicle or object" Zamora saw, and that "the sighting cannot be attributed to atmospheric or astronomical phenomena". It went on: "I can categorically state that the vehicle or object observed by Mr Lonnie Zamora was not an inter-planetary space vehicle". "This case is still open."
• Record card: final carried status UNIDENTIFIED (see "Primary sources").
• **Quintanilla, *Studies in Intelligence*, 1966.** He says the following were all checked: Geiger counters from Kirtland AFB, the Holloman balloon control center, weather balloon releases, helicopters statewide, government and private aircraft, the Pentagon reconnaissance division, the White House Command Post, the Holloman commander, White Sands down-range controllers, and industrial firms in lunar vehicle research. "The findings were altogether negative." The down-range Holloman MTI radar closest to Socorro "had been closed down for the day at 1600 hours". His verdict: "There is no doubt that Lonnie Zamora saw an object which left quite an impression on him. There is also no question about Zamora's reliability ... He is puzzled by what he saw, and frankly, so are we. This is the best-documented case on record."The Holloman landing, as told to George H. W. Bush

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Sources

• Project 10073 Record Card and investigation summary, Blue Book file (NICAP scans, pp. 1-25)
• Index of 166 Blue Book pages (Dan Wilson)
• Zamora's report from the Blue Book file (transcription)
• FBI documents, 12 pp. (teletype 62-83894-436)
• Hector Quintanilla, "The Investigation of UFO's", *Studies in Intelligence* 10/4 (1966)
• Dave Thomas, "Socorro's Famous UFO Sighting", *El Defensor Chieftain*, 6 Aug 2026 (skeptic column)

Mentioned on (2)

• Documentaries: The Age of Disclosure
• UAP Gerb: 7/20/24 Discussing Cases and Q&A