Socorro / Lonnie Zamora Incident (1964)

On April 24, 1964, Socorro police officer Lonnie Zamora was pursuing a speeder when he heard a roar and saw a flame in the sky. He drove toward it and found a white, egg-shaped object on legs in a gully, with two small figures in white coveralls standing beside it. As he approached, the figures entered the craft, which roared and lifted off with a blue flame. It left physical evidence: landing gear impressions in the soil, burned vegetation, and fused sand. J. Allen Hynek investigated personally for Project Blue Book and called it one of the most credible cases he ever examined. The landing site showed four symmetrical pad marks consistent with the legs of a heavy vehicle. The case was never explained. Air Force officials considered Zamora completely credible. The Socorro case is significant because it combines a trained law enforcement witness, physical trace evidence, and investigation by the Air Force's own scientific advisor — who concluded it was genuine.