Socorro Landing Traces, 1964
Officer Zamora reported a flame-descending object that landed and took off southwest of Socorro.
May 8, 2026
Pending
PURSUE Program
AI Disclosure Brief
AI assistedReported Object Read
Officer Lonnie Zamora reported observing a bluish-orange flame descending in a funnel shape, accompanied by a roaring sound shifting from high to low frequency, in an isolated area southwest of Socorro. Radio call indicated the object had landed and taken off. Physical traces included four rectangular indentations, burned grass patches, and three small circular marks in the ground.
Notable Characteristics
- Color: bluish and sort of orange
- Duration: roar lasted possibly ten seconds
- Sound: roar, not a blast, changed from high frequency to low frequency
Reported Motion
- slowly descending, then landed and took off
Evidence Notes
- Eyewitness report from police officer
- Physical traces: indentations, burns, marks
- FBI agent on-scene observation
FBI memo documents police officer's report of a descending flame-like object with physical landing traces, vouched for by agent familiar with witness; no object shape described in this record.
Unclear
visual, audio
85%
Prosaic Leads
- Possible experimental craft or rocket test
- Dynamite shack explosion (ruled out by Zamora)
- Hoax (inconsistent with agent's credibility assessment)
Anomalous Indicators
- Physical traces consistent with landing gear
- Witness agitation and sobriety noted
- Isolated location, no other observers or objects
Evidence Gaps
- No description of object shape or structure
- No photographs of traces or witness
- Incomplete Zamora statement in extracted text
Evidence Quotes // source statements
Open archive"some unknown object which "landed and has taken off.""
Officer Lonnie Zamora, Socorro Police Officer / Socorro Police Department
Radio call relayed by Nep Lopez
"Officer Zamora... is well regarded as a sober, industrious, and conscientious officer and not given to fantasy."
Special Agent D. Arthur Byrnes, Jr., FBI Special Agent / FBI Albuquerque
Agent's personal observation after five years acquaintance
"four indentations in the rough ground... approximately sixteen by six inches rectangular."
Special Agent D. Arthur Byrnes, Jr., FBI Special Agent / FBI Albuquerque
On-scene examination
Pattern Mesh // linked sightings
No mesh nodes yet. As more vault dumps land, this graph teeth out.
Chronology Trace // before & after
No dated sibling signals are available yet.
Official Files // source material
1 linked65_HS1-834228961_62-HQ-83894_Serial_438
0062 83894 Vol. 1 438- Only FBI - CENTRAL RECORDS CENTER HQ - HEADQUARTERS HQ-0000-86775B: HQ Class / Case # Sub Vol. Serial # 0062 83894 1 438 ONLY 8/11/1274161 RRP003IXG3 Declassification authority derived from FBI Automatic Declassification Guide, issued May 24, 2007. RTME JUST STICE DE IGATION DERAL OF In Reply, Please Refer to File No. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION Albuquerque, New Mexico May 8, 1964 UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECT SOCORRO, NEW MEXICO APRIL 24, 1964 Special Agent D. Arthur Byrnes, Jr., Federal Bureau of Investigation, stationed at Albuquerque, New Mexico, was at Socorro, New Mexico, and at the State Police Office there on business late afternoon of April 24, 1964. At approximately 5:45 to 5:50 P. M. , Nep Lopez, radio operator in the S