◆ SpookStack

Incident: 22% At 1745 on 8 Dec 48, Spec Agents STAHL & MEXF, both rated pilots, took off from Kirtland AP Base in a T-7 type aircraft. At 1833 while flying at an indicated altitude of 11,500 feet, mean sea level, approximately 5,000 feet above terrain, a strange phenomenon was observed. React position of the aircraft at time of observation wee 35° 31' Be 104° 51' W, approximately 20 miles east of Las Vegas, N. K., ratio sonde station. Aircraft wus on a compass course of a indicated air-speed wes 160 MPH and ground peed appease 190 spb. /A STABL was pilot and seoted om the left side of cockpit, 3/A REEF first observed the object an? @ split sec od later S/A STAML saw it. It was 2,000 ft bigher than tue plane or 13,500 ft above meen sea level and was approach the plane at a ranid rate of speed from apyroximately 30° to the left of course, from 60° ERE, to 20° WoW, The object was similar in appearance to @ burning green flare of“towon use in the Air Forces. dovever, the Light wae much more intense and the object appesred considerably than a normal flare. Mo estimate could be maie of the distance or size of the object since no other object was visible won which to bose a comparieon. It was definitely larg r than a shooting star, meteor or flure. The trajectory of the object when first signted wis almost flat and parallel to the earth, The l-eted approximately 2 seconie at the end of which time the object seemed to burn cut. The trajectory thea dropped off rapidly and a trail of glowing fragments reddish orange in color wis observed falling toward the ground. There fragments were visible for lese than a second Before disappearing. ‘The phenomenon wee of such in tensity as to be visible from the very moment it ignited and was observed e split second later. It w.s not possible for the phenomenon to have been visible for longer than « split’ second before obserwation. (See “e* umier"Significant Differences Between the Fireballs Observed in tne Interval Dec 5-13 & Typical Meteors" = Incident 227) , oe Yrerdt 223