What did the declassified documents reveal?

Document: 1952-08-6996533-KIRTLANDAFB-N-M Agency: United States Air Force Date: August 3, 1952 Notable for: Report of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) observed at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico. The document was released through The Black Vault, a website providing declassified government records. The canonical PDF is available at https://archive.org/download/1952-08-6996533-KIRTLANDAFB-N-M/1952-08-6996533-KIRTLANDAFB-N-Mdjvu.txt. U DAjt 3 Aug 52. OATC-TIMS CROOA L. 03/2220 1ST CMT 0 r«« 7. LIMOTH OP etSCRVATION 9 Bda PROJeCT RiCu.iU .OCATION laRTL/.I.'D AFB, 4. TT^I 0^ OaiERVATION 0 Aif»Vl«iW 3 Air^lat«fet#t R«4«r CAA EKGIN1SER I. NUMBCR OP OftJfCTS f 9. COURSe 10. ftRtIP SUMMARY OP UCmTIMO Throo oblong traAsluoont objoeto in Invortoii V rorraotioA "tuoblod And ni^rioppod lit COmmCnTS copiCli/s;oh$ ' ] Q wtftloon ; O ticUooif C PutbtbJy BoiImA i Cl •%% A«rcrcrff Q AifCfo^f a A#$»sblT Airef«ft A IQ Vf«i A»MMmic0l I Q Pf«bobly Atfr»M«ntC«i jo P#»t«Wy Q ■ XX 0«t« l»f Cl ,C 0 ///r / W'jZ/'JG .1 A • • ■ v;. 9 OPOP J£Pm JEDWP J2DEN 333 FK 3^TH ADIV KIRTLAND AFB NMEX TO JEPHQ/DIRECTOR OF IN^LIGENCE KDQRTS USAF WASI! JEDWP/AIR TECHNICAL INTELLIGENCE CENTER WP AFB OHIO ATTN ATIAA-2C , . « JEDEN/CG ENT AFB COLO SPRGS COLO aa-FLYOBRPT 3A0D0 10981 (10) THREE OBLONG TRANSLUCENT OBJECTS IN INVERTED VEE FORMATION CNA EXHAUST NONE PROPULSION NONE CMA SPEED NEAR SONIC CMA SOUND NONE CMA MANUVERS S-V’ » %' a 4 CONVENTIONAL EXCEPT ONE FLIP-FLOP OR FADED FOR SIGHT CMA i ! MANUVER SHOWED ONE OBJECT AS PLATE SHAPE PD (2) SIG!:TED 2220 MST FOR NINE MINUTES PD (3) VISUAL 6fOR SURFACE (A) OBSERVED At\i06DEG 55 W 33DEG 10 N^VITK OBJECTS UNKN0«:N DISTANCE NORTH AND A0 DEG ABOVE H0RI20N (5) OBSERVER ENGINEER FOR CAAINSAC STATION (6) 22,000 SCATTERED CMA 30 MILES VISIBILITY CMA WIND NNU THREE KNOTS C7> NEAR r'u 9 6 FULL MOOM (C) NONE (9) NONE <lw) NONE PD END I 0A/08A3Z AUG JWFKD <2y/ a This report was submitted by the Air Technical Intelligence Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. The document details a sighting of three oblong, translucent objects in an inverted V formation observed at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico. The objects were seen moving at a speed near sonic levels, with no exhaust, propulsion, or sound detected. The report also notes that one of the objects appeared to change shape, showing a plate-like form for a brief period. The observer, an engineer at the station, estimated the objects' distance to be unknown, with visibility limited to 30 miles due to scattered clouds. This is what the public record looks like at its most ordinary. Storyflo.com. https://archive.org/download/1952-08-6996533-KIRTLANDAFB-N-M/1952-08-6996533-KIRTLANDAFB-N-Mdjvu.txt.

Why was this case declassified?

This material was released by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. The originating source document is linked on this page so the citation chain is auditable.

Declassified NSA File

Q: Why was this case declassified?

This material was released by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. The originating source document is linked on this page so the citation chain is auditable.

◆ BLUF — The short version

Document: 1952-08-6996533-KIRTLANDAFB-N-M Agency: United States Air Force Date: August 3, 1952 Notable for: Report of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) observed at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico. The document was released through The Black Vault, a website providing declassified government records.

Agency: Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
Date: JUL 18 · 2026
Release: Declassified · U.S. public record (FOIA)
Source document: View the primary source document

↯ Dispatch — press play2:41

0:002:41

↯ Share

X in r/

Episode notes

View the primary source document

Questions about this case

What was Declassified NSA File about?: Document: 1952-08-6996533-KIRTLANDAFB-N-M Agency: United States Air Force Date: August 3, 1952 Notable for: Report of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) observed at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico. The document was released through The Black Vault, a website providing declassified government records.
Why was this case declassified?: This material was released by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. The originating source document is linked in the case notes above so the citation chain is fully auditable.

intelligence-vault

Related cases

CIA

More from CIA

✉ Dispatches

A short dispatch when a new file is released — narrated, answer-first, and linked straight to the primary source. No spam; unsubscribe anytime.

↯ Subscribe to the feed

RSS feed Browse all cases

Declassified NSA File

Questions about this case

Related cases

NRO This Briefing Presents A Declassified United States Intelligence Assessment

Declassified Presents A November Nineteen Fifty One Central Intelligence Agency

Today, We Examine A Declassified Central Intelligence Agency Record

This Declassified Central Intelligence Agency Record, Dated November Thirtieth

Government Record Regarding Reconnaissance Restrictions Along The Coast

More from CIA

Declassified CIA File

CIA Document: Islipterrace Newyork, Undated, Circa 1950s.

CIA Project One Zero Zero Seventy‑three Record Card, Midland Texas.

Declassified Case File

War.gov: Cold Open: We're Examining A Declassified Document From 1943, Retrieved From The

Questions about this case

Related cases

NRO This Briefing Presents A Declassified United States Intelligence Assessment

Declassified Presents A November Nineteen Fifty One Central Intelligence Agency

Today, We Examine A Declassified Central Intelligence Agency Record

This Declassified Central Intelligence Agency Record, Dated November Thirtieth

Government Record Regarding Reconnaissance Restrictions Along The Coast

More from CIA

Declassified CIA File

CIA Document: Islipterrace Newyork, Undated, Circa 1950s.

CIA Project One Zero Zero Seventy‑three Record Card, Midland Texas.

Declassified Case File

War.gov: Cold Open: We're Examining A Declassified Document From 1943, Retrieved From The

Get the next declassified case in your inbox