In the daytime, Raymond Dugan and Raymond E. Stiles, members of a balloon project of General Mills Aeronautical Research Laboratory, while observing the project's 110 feet balloon at an altitude of 112,000 feet spotted a motionless dull white, round object 5/3 larger than the balloon. Later, the balloon crew, the manager of Artesia Airport, and three pilots saw two objects flying side-by-side, then circle the balloon and fly away to the northeast.

Two balls were observed by six male witnesses at an airport for several minutes (Raymond Dugan).

Ruppelt's account (differs from Grudge version, and dated exactly one year earlier at the same location):

On January 16, 1951, two people from General Mills and four people from Artesia, New Mexico, were watching a skyhook balloon from the Artesia airport. They had been watching the balloon off and on for about an hour when one of the group saw two tiny specks on the horizon, off to the northwest. He pointed them out to the others because two airplanes were expected into the airport, and he thought that these might be the airplanes. But as they watched, the two specks began to move in fast, and within a few seconds the observers could see that "the airplanes" were actually two round, dull white objects flying in close formation. The two objects continued to come in and headed straight toward the balloon. When they reached the balloon they circled it once and flew off to the northwest, where they disappeared over the horizon. As the two UFO's circled the balloon, they tipped on edge and the observers saw that they were disk-shaped.

When the two UFO's were near the balloon, the observers also had a chance to compare the size of the UFO's with the size of the balloon. If the UFO's were as close to the balloon as they appeared to be they would have been 60 feet in diameter.

On January 16, 1952, two members of a balloon project from the General Mills Aeronautical Research Laboratory and four other civilians observed two unidentified aerial objects in the vicinity of the balloon they were observing. The balloon was at an altitude of 112,000 feet and was 110 feet in diameter at the time of the observation. The objects were observed twice, once from Artesia, New Mexico, and once from the Artesia Airport. In the first instance, one round object appeared to remain motionless in the vicinity, but apparently higher than the balloon. The balloon appeared to be 1-1/2" in diameter and the object, 2-1/2" in diameter (thus the ratio of 3 to 5), and the color was a dull white. This observation was made by two General Mills observers.

A short time later the same two observers and four civilian pilots were observing the same balloon from the Artesia Airport. Two objects apparently at extremely high altitude were noted coming toward the balloon from the northwest. They circled the balloon, or apparently so, and flew off to the northeast. The time of observation was about 40 seconds. The two objects were the same color and size as the first object. They were flying side by side. When the objects appeared to circle the balloon, they disappeared, and the observers assumed they were disc-shaped and had turned on edge to bank.

Unfortunately this report was not made until April 5 and did not reach ATIC until April 16. Due to this time lapse no further investigation is contemplated. The observers are known to be very reliable and experienced.

Conclusions: None.

Google map of this location.