Tierra Amarilla, New Mexico, November 8, 1952
THINK ABOUTIT UFO|UAP SIGHTINGS REPORT
1952: Tierra Amarilla, New Mexico, the FPS-3 Radar Target
On the evening of November 8, 1952, an FPS-3 radar of the 767th AC&W Squadron near Tierra Amarilla, New Mexico showed a target that appeared 45 miles out, went to about 130 miles, came back to 65 miles, hovered for roughly two minutes and left again. A Philco technical representative and two airmen watched it for about ten minutes.
Changing the radar frequency by 20 megacycles did nothing. The military operators suspected interference from a station to the southeast on the same bearing, and the technical representative disagreed.
Date: November 8, 1952
Sighting Time: 6:05 p.m. MST (the flying-object report says 1805; the sworn airman statement says 1905)
Day/Night: Night
Location: Tierra Amarilla AFS (El Vado radar site), New Mexico
Urban or Rural: Rural
No. of Entity(‘s): None reported
Entity Type: Not applicable
Entity Description: Not applicable
Hynek Classification: None (radar-only report)
Duration: About 10 minutes
No. of Object(s): 1 (radar)
Shape of Object(s): Not applicable (radar)
Size of Object(s): Not applicable
Color of Object(s): Not applicable
Distance to Object(s): 45 to about 130 miles
Height & Speed: Bearing 143–145 degrees; estimated 600 to 1,500 mph at an estimated 40,000 feet; hovered about two minutes
Number of Witnesses: 3 (a Philco technical representative and two airmen)
Special Features/Characteristics: A 20-megacycle frequency change had no effect; radar scope photographs were negative; the target went out, returned, hovered and left
Case Status: Blue Book: probably weather. The operators suggested interference from a station on the same bearing; the technical representative disagreed
Source: McDonald list; FUFOR Index; Dan Wilson; Blue Book file (FLYOBRPT and sworn statements)
Summary/Description: An FPS-3 radar followed a target that moved out to about 130 miles, returned to 65 miles, hovered about two minutes and left, over about ten minutes on November 8, 1952. A frequency change had no effect and scope photographs were negative.
Related Cases: Other early-November file cases on the November 1st–15th page
DETAILED REPORT
A Philco technical representative and two airmen of the 767th AC&W Squadron saw an FPS-3 target first appear at 45 miles on a bearing of 143 to 145 degrees. It moved outbound to about 130 miles, came back to 65 miles and hovered for roughly two minutes, then went outbound again to about 100 miles. Estimated speed ran from 600 to 1,500 mph over about ten minutes.
The crew changed the radar frequency by 20 megacycles and the target did not change. Radar scope photographs were negative. No other radar station in the area picked it up, and there was no visual sighting. The report notes that, given the radar’s tilt, an altitude of over 40,000 feet would be needed for detection at 130 miles.
The military operators suggested interference from a station to the southeast on the same bearing. The technical representative disagreed. Blue Book noted that similar returns are often attributed to atmospheric conditions and concluded weather likely caused it.
The time differs by an hour between documents: the flying-object report says 1805 MST and the airman’s sworn statement says 1905.
RESEARCHER’S NOTES
Tierra Amarilla 1952: Interference or Target?
- The one-hour conflict: Two documents give 1805 and 1905. Both are shown because the file does not resolve it.
- The interference theory: A fixed station on the same bearing is a specific, testable explanation, and the file records that the technical representative did not accept it.
- Frequency change: A real target should not care about a 20-megacycle shift, while interference often would, so the test favors a real return.
- Altitude: The report estimates 40,000 feet and says an altitude of over 40,000 feet would be needed for the set to detect anything at 130 miles, which is the same point made the other way.
Tierra Amarilla is a radar-only case where the operators and the contractor disagreed on the cause. Blue Book picked weather; the file does not close the argument.
“The change of 20MC normally eliminates all interference.”
— Flying-object report (FLYOBRPT), 767th AC&W Squadron, Tierra Amarilla, New Mexico, November 8, 1952 (Blue Book file; OCR)
