Was Was Being Seen in 1951?

On August 25, 1951, clusters of strange and mysterious lights were viewed over Lubbock, Texas. High caliber witness and photographs helped elevate the case to high profile. First attempts to lay the blame on flights of birds proved insufficient to witness accounts; true there were flocks of some birds in the region but there was also something more.

One rule of historic research is to step back and look at the larger context. This "big picture" approach allows a glimpse into other events and may lead to a solution that fits the witness accounts.

To the northwest of Lubbock that night came reports of an "unidentified craft" and since this was the area of top secret bases and projects notice was taken. A Sandia Base Security Guard at 2158 (10:58 local) hours report an "unidentified aircraft" , 1 1/2 to 2 times the size of a B36 going over the city of Alburquerue, New Mexico. He estimated its speed at 300-400 mph; on a heading of 160 degrees at about 1000 ft. There were no running lights. The craft had swept back wings, cheveron shaped, and 6-8 brilliant mercury white lights on trailing edge of wings. It made no sound and appeared to fly straight and level to the southwest. At about the same time a man in town observed the same mysterious craft, with 6-8 pairs of glowing, round white lights between dark striped on the underside of the wing. The lights went off just after the craft passed over U.S. 66. No sound, straight and level, approx. 300mph, 800-1000 ft. No propellers noted. In view for about 30 seconds at 2158 hrs. The Project Blue Book file seems to infer a similar object was seen the next day at Kirkland AFB and noted all the features mentioned and that it was similar in shape to the Northrup Flying Wing (B-49) but he could see no fuselage, wings were swept back with no taper, 6-8 black stripes under each wing longitudinally.

It should be noted that by 1951 all the B-49 flying wings had been mothballed and were out of commission by the time of these sightings. The B-49 dimensions were 53 ft. long; 172 ft. wingspan; and a maximum air speed of 493 mph (they maxed out at 45,700 ft. altitude as well).

A notation in the report from a Major James Galloway indicated there had been no  unfamiliar or experimental aircraft in the region and there was no rational or natural explanation. "This assumed unconventional aircraft might be considered significant but for the fact that its sighting can be substantiated by only two witnesses and no other evidence." An odd statement given that the rule of thumb seemed to be discounting any single witness events out of hand. Here they had two witness of sterling character and references but it was not enough.

This file got stranger because it was evidence requests had gone out to everyone for "priority" response to a request for information about SAC B-36 planes in the locations of Lubbock on August 30 (August 30 is the day of the famous Hart photographs), and Albuquerque, August 22 at 2200 local, and at Matador, Texas at 1215 local on August 31. The responses were negative. In addition, the witness from Albuquerque was shown a copy of one of the Lubbock photos and declared that they "appeared similar" to his sighting of 2158 25 August 1951 over Albuquerque, NM.

August 30, 1951 in Lubbock, Texas at 2330 hrs a formation of lighted objects passed overhead at great speed. Two more V or U shaped formations passed over. Objects glowed. Less well known was the report of a local area woman that she had seen a dark flying wing in the area; experts were

Lubbock, Texas Aug 30- Hart Photos. PBB

stumped as to how it would be soundless.

The August 31, 1951 sighting in Matador, Motley County, Texas involved a woman visiting from Lawton, Oklahoma and two relatives as they drove north of Matador. (Other sources indicate these were Mrs. Tom Tomlinson or Tilson, her daughter Mrs. M.B. Bethard, and small daughter Nolene Bethard). They saw a pear shaped, aluminum or silver colored, object about 125 yards in front of the car at approx. 1245 hrs.

The object swerved off - smaller end forward - no exhaust or noise as it moved toward the east in a circular manner. Appeared to be landing and taking off...Witnesses described what appeared to be a door or window in the tapered end. The object hovered and them seemed to leave the area at a high speed. A check of her reputation in Lawton found her to have a good reputation in the community.

In a September 30 file from Orange, Virginia labeled [insufficient data, 118 pgs.] shared a sighting at 1500 local of a circular object, brownish-black with a halo surrounding it moving at high speed, it made violent motions (starting and stopping). Then - abruptly - the file starts talking about "photos" and the reference is to the Lubbock, Texas photos. Scattered in the report were some interesting quotes: "college professors did not believe them to be birds" (referring to the original witnesses of the Lubbock Lights, a group of college professors of the sciences.  There were 12 occasions when the objects were sighted and a Federal Wildlife and Game expert had stated he doubted they were birds. He believed they could only have been birds if there had been a great and sudden influx of birds in the area. Such had not happened.  Ducks were ruled out after a local newspaper photographer tried to duplicate the Hart photos and captured ducks - barely visible and hardly reflective at all. The idea of the lights being caused by Plovers also met with resistance as "Plovers do not fly in groups of more than 6-7; probably ducks" - a circular answer bringing the issue back to the unsuccessful attempt of duplicating the photos Hart had taken. Included were also mention of Matador's "wingless aircraft" and a newspaper clipping recount "Strange Aircraft Seen at Matador" dated August 31. Witnesses were named as Mr. Tomlinson, her daughter Mrs. M.B. Bethard and little Nolene Bethard and their location as HWY 70 at 12:45 p.m. The object was slow moving, shaped like a helicopter with propellers.