Muroc AFB Incident
Muroc, California
July 8, 1947
Series of sightings over MUROC AFB and Rogers Dry Lake, secret test base, California:
July 8, 1947; Muroc AAF
9:45 a.m. (PDT). AAF 1st Lt. Joseph C. McHenry, T/Sgt Joseph Ruvolo, S/Sgt Gerald E. Nauman, and Miss Jannette Marie Scotte at 10:00 a.m., saw two saucer or disc shaped objects, silver and apparently metallic, fly a wide circular pattern [?] at about 7500-8000 ft at 350-400 mph heading 320° (about NW) toward Mojave, Calif. Before the first 2 objects disappeared a 3rd similar disc or spherical silver object reflecting sunlight was seen, with additional 5 witnesses, to the N flying tight circles at about 7,000-8,000 ft beyond capability of known aircraft, maintaining altitude. No sound or trails. 3-4 mins. [See sightings at Muroc later in the day and previous day.]
July 8, 1947; Muroc AAF
11:50 a.m.-12 noon. AAF experimental test pilot Capt. John Paul Strapp, Mr. Lenz from Wright Field and 2 others in an observation truck at Area 3 of Rogers Dry Lake for a P-82 ejection seat test saw a round silver or aluminum-white object at first thought to be a parachute, about 25 ft wide, falling from a height below the 20,000 ft of the test aircraft at 3x the rate for an ejection seat test, drifting horizontally toward Mt. Wilson (to the S) at less than 50-80 mph, which when close to horizon appeared to have an oval outline with 2 thick fins or knobs on the upper surface which seemed to rotate or oscillate, no propellers, slowly disappearing below the mountain tops in the distance after 90 secs.
July 8. 1947; Muroc AAF
Noon. Others witnesses independently, including Muroc CO Col. Signa A. Gilkey and engineer Major Richard R. Shoop and wife saw from a different location 5-8 miles away to the N [?] the apparently same falling object, thin metallic aluminum colored and the size of a pursuit aircraft [50 ft?], reflecting sunlight and oscillating, descend to ground level, then rise again and move slowly off in the distance for a total of 8 mins. No sound or trail. [See sightings at Muroc earlier and later in the day and previous day.] 8-mins. (FOIA; Vallée Magonia 60)
July 8, 1947; 40 miles S of Muroc AAF
4 p.m. Exactly four hours later the pilot of an F-51 was flying at 20,000 feet about 40 miles south of Muroc Air Base when he sighted a "flat object of a light reflecting nature." He reported that it had no vertical fin or wings. When he first saw it, the object was above him and he tried to climb up to it, but his F-51 would not climb high enough. All air bases in the area were contacted but they had no aircraft in the area.
CONFIDENTIAL
HEADQUARTERS MUROC ARMY AIR FIELD
OFFICE OF THE COMMANDING OFFICER
MUROC, CALIFORNIA
jsr/TAM
14 August 1947
SUBJECT: Investigation of "Flying Discs"
TO: Commanding General
Headquarters Fourth Air Force
Hamilton Field,
San Francisco, California
ATTEN: AC of S, A-2
1: In compliance with your LEAD SHEET dated 6 August 1947, subject, Investigation of "Flying Saucers", the enclosed statements are submitted for your information.
signed
HARRY. D. BLACK
Captain, MAC,
Intelligence Officer
Inc. 1-8 Statements Re: "Flying Discs"
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
A F F I D A V I T
CONFIDENTIAL
HEADQUARTERS FOURTH AIR FORCE
Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff, A-2
Intelligence
Hamilton Field, California
TITLE Investigation of Flying Disc. INVESTIGATION MADE AT: Muroc AAF, Muroc, Calif.
CONTROLLING OFFICE Air Defense Command, Mitchel Field.
FILE No. 1208-I PERIOD COVERED 8 July 1947
CASE CLASSIFICATION Incident
DATE 18 August 1947 STATUS OF CASE Pending
REASON FOR INVESTIGATION: Investigation initiated at request of Air Defense Command reference ltr Hq ADC, dtd 7 Jul 47, file D333.5 ID, subj: Investigation of Flying Disc.
SYNOPSIS:
On 8 July 1947, approximately 1000 hours, two incidents occurred in the vicinity of Muroc Flight Test Base.
No further investigation of these incidents is being considered by this headquarters.
