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[josh] on this episode
of expedition x...
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-Whoa.
-Whoa.
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00:00:05,339 --> 00:00:07,506
Oh, that is so steep.
Don't look.
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00:00:07,541 --> 00:00:10,175
[josh] my team heads to
the deserts of new mexico,
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to investigate one of the most
compelling ufo encounters
in american history.
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This is the case
that changed everything.
Right here.
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00:00:17,918 --> 00:00:21,353
[josh] where
local law enforcement
report a bizarre craft.
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[pablo] they saw
a great, big spaceship...
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[josh] piloted by
extraterrestrial beings.
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One of them
turned and faced him
and scared him.
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I was...
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It's steep up here.
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[jessica] trying not to fall
off the edge.
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[josh] and according
to some...
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...They have returned.
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Different nuclear
military operations
made this kind of a hot-bed
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for ufo sightings.
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-Jess, get over here.
-[jessica] let me see,
let me see.
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Check that out.
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[phil] what the... [bleep]
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what is this?
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[josh] ufos over new mexico.
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My name is josh gates.
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In my travels,
I have experienced
strange things
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that defy logic.
And made me question
everything.
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Oh, my god!
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Now, I've put together
a team to investigate
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the stranger side
of the unknown.
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Let's go.
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[josh] phil torres
is a scientist
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who hunts for rational
explanations.
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[josh] jessica chobot's
paranormal research,
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has made her a true believer.
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Phil, do you see that?
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[whispering] I just saw
something right across.
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[josh] together,
we're searching for answers...
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[phil]
what is that?
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[josh] ...To the world's
most extraordinary mysteries.
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This is expedition x.
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Phil and jess,
I hope you're ready.
We got a wild one today.
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What you got?
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Well, phil, even you,
mr. Science,
are no doubt familiar with
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-the 1947 roswell incident,
in new mexico?
-Right.
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When the poor weather balloon
crashed there,
it was terrible.
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-Are you for real right now?
-All right, stay calm,
jess, stay calm.
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Well, what if I told you,
that there was another
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potentially even
more significant incident,
that occurred
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only a 140 miles from roswell,
about 15 years later.
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Not a crash,
but supposedly an actual
landing of a ufo.
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And allegedly
a close encounter
with alien beings.
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So, you're talking
the lonnie zamora incident,
socorro, new mexico.
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Unbelievable. You never fail
to impress me, jess.
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Amazing!
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Before we dive into it,
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phil, you have gone on record
to saying you think that...
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Extraterrestrials could be
out there, somewhere, right?
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Out there for sure.
I mean, scientists believe
that there are
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over 400 billion galaxies
in our universe.
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And in our galaxy alone,
they found several hundred
habitable planets.
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The more controversial debate,
of course, is whether
any of those extraterrestrials
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-have come here.
-Right.
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That brings us back
to the zamora incident.
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When this occurred,
the us government
investigated this thoroughly,
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and they couldn't solve it.
It remains unsolved.
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Locals in this area believe
that the zamora incident
was real,
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and they're still
having experiences.
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Experiences that they say,
can end the debate
over extraterrestrials,
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once and for all.
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New mexico ranks among
the states with the most
ufo sightings in the country.
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With reports nearly doubling
in the last two years.
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And they're still on the rise.
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But if we trace
the state's most significant
ufo cases,
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it begins with
the roswell incident in 1947.
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And perhaps,
an even stranger event
just 15 years later.
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The year is 1964,
socorro, new mexico.
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At approximately 5:45 p.M.,
police sergeant lonnie zamora
is pursuing
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a reckless driver
just outside of town.
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When he hears a loud roar
followed by a large flame
rising from the desert
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off the highway.
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He breaks off the chase
to investigate.
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When he crests a hill,
he claims to see
an oval-shaped object,
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emblazoned
with a strange symbol,
resting on four legs,
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with two small beings
next to what it appears to be,
a spaceship.
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As he approaches on foot,
the craft suddenly lifts
into the air,
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and races away
across the desert sky.
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Zamora is shaken,
and calls in his encounter
to the local dispatch.
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The next day,
the governments'
ufo investigation program,
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00:04:21,095 --> 00:04:24,763
project bluebook,
sends their top investigators
to the scene
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where they record
physical evidence.
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Charred shrub,
indentations in the soil,
and even small footprints.
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But, project bluebook
is shut down in 1969,
without ever solving the case.
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Lonnie zamora dies in 2009.
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Despite a lifetime of scrutiny
into his story,
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he never wavered
that what he saw
was from another world.
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And just recently,
hundreds of declassified
federal documents have emerged
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about the zamora incident,
reinvigorating the mystery.
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On top of that,
some say ufos have returned
to socorro.
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Recently,
a mass sighting was seen
by multiple eyewitnesses,
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00:05:07,908 --> 00:05:11,543
including pilots,
military personnel
and civilians,
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all claiming
to see unidentified objects
in the sky
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and putting
the city of socorro back
under the cosmic microscope.
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So, guys, what do you think?
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I'll admit, lonnie zamora
seems like he was
a very credible witness.
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He wasn't just some random guy
with a tinfoil hat.
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He was
a trained police officer.
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Yeah and I think
that's a good point
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because law enforcement
usually aren't
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the typical people
to come forward
with ufo encounters.
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That's what makes this case
so fascinating.
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And the fact that there are
new sightings today,
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means it is the perfect time
to reopen this case.
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So, I've been trying
to get in contact with some
of these eyewitnesses
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from this new mass sighting,
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but so far they've all been
very reluctant to go public.
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But I'm gonna keep working
those leads,
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and I think that
where you should start
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is to really try to understand
the original zamora incident.
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And see if it could
be connected to the sightings
that are happening today.
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You up for this?
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Hell, yeah!
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-Sounds like a plan.
-All right,
go have a close encounter.
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My team hops on
a 2000 mile flight
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from new york city
to albuquerque.
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Then, drive 76 mile south
to the small town of socorro.
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While I try to line up
a credible eyewitness
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for the recent ufo sighting
in the area,
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I'm directing jess and phil
to dig deeper
into the zamora incident.
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[phil] out of any
of the investigations
that we do,
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I feel like ufos are the most
likely to actually exist.
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-Oh my--
-out of all of them.
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Who knew? You are a believer!
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But that doesn't mean
that every story that you hear
is real,
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or even the majority of them
are real.
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There's a lot of aspects
of the socorro story
that I'm questioning. Like,
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tiny alien people coming out
of there. It's a little weird.
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I understand.
But, keep in mind
there was an eyewitness.
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And the government
took it seriously enough
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that they actually sent out
people to check out the scene.
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So, something must
have happened.
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I think there's
the potential there
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that lonnie zamora
actually encountered aliens.
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Well, the fact that they're
always conveniently bipedal,
upright,
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they have eyes,
they have hands...
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That all just seems
a little unimaginative
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to what's really out there
in the universe.
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My opinion, if something
is visiting us here,
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there is no doubt in my mind,
we would be taken over
and destroyed.
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That's the optimist
in you, jess.
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[phil] we've arrived
at the site
where lonnie zamora
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supposedly witnessed
an alien craft.
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-[jessica] is it hailing?
-[phil] what? Oh my gosh.
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[jessica] oh, that is cold,
oh, yeah.
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-All sorts of weird things
coming out of the sky here.
-[jessica] yeah.
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[josh] I've arranged for
my team to meet renowned
ufo investigator, james fox.
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-[jessica] hi!
-Nice to meet you guys.
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[josh] two years ago,
james and I investigated
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another infamous ufo case
in zimbabwe.
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Where in 1994,
62 school children claimed to
witness a ufo landing.
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The details are
strikingly similar
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to what lonnie zamora reported
seeing in 1964.
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James is a filmmaker,
journalist and author,
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who has studied every detail
of the zamora case
for over five years
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and has spent decades
pursuing answers
to the mysteries of ufos.
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This is the case
that changed everything.
Right here.
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We came out here
to check out where
the actual landing occurred.
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Can you guys show us?
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-Absolutely.
-Yeah.
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-You wanna lead the way?
-Oh, sure.
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[josh] with james,
is pablo lopez,
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who arrived at the scene
minutes after lonnie zamora
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reported the incident
to the authorities.
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He was 20 years old
at the time.
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[pablo] this is the spot
where it landed.
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How did you end up here?
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I was at the sheriff's office.
My dad was a radio operator.
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And I went in
to visit with him.
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And lonnie came over there
and he was really,
really scared.
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00:09:07,014 --> 00:09:09,814
And he said he saw
a great big spaceship.
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He said, which had landed
right here.
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00:09:14,054 --> 00:09:15,921
I came up here
with the sheriff.
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When I got here,
there was bushes here,
that were smoldering.
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They still had smoke
coming out of them,
and some fire.
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And there was footprints.
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The footprints were tiny,
they were probably
three inches long.
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00:09:29,269 --> 00:09:31,903
And maybe an inch and a half,
two inches wide.
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-Like a three year old's?
-[pablo] yes.
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Lonnie said they weren't
over...That tall.
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One of them turned
and faced him
and it scared him...
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...Out of his wits.
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What do you think landed here?
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A ufo.
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-Really?
-[pablo] yeah.
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00:09:46,053 --> 00:09:47,786
Something like that,
something unexplainable.
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00:09:47,821 --> 00:09:51,056
And officer zamora
was a man's man, okay?
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00:09:51,091 --> 00:09:53,625
-So, you knew him personally?
-[pablo] I knew him
personally, yes.
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Officer zamora
wasn't the same person
after this.
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He saw what he saw
and it was for real.
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00:10:00,734 --> 00:10:04,002
I gotta admit, this is messing
with my brain a little bit.
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00:10:04,037 --> 00:10:07,472
So, james, why this case?
Why does this one stand out
to you?
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This case right here,
is what gave project bluebook
the conclusion that
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00:10:12,312 --> 00:10:16,681
ufos were not only real,
but the close encounters
of the third kind
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00:10:16,717 --> 00:10:20,251
and that's cases
where witnesses report
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00:10:20,287 --> 00:10:22,220
beings associated with
the craft.
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00:10:22,255 --> 00:10:23,722
So, what are some of
the details that you've
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00:10:23,757 --> 00:10:25,256
gleaned from
your investigating?
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00:10:25,292 --> 00:10:28,693
There was a blue flame that
came down from this object,
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00:10:28,729 --> 00:10:33,365
and it didn't hit the ground
and reflect, like
a rocket booster would do it,
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00:10:33,400 --> 00:10:37,402
it penetrated into the ground.
And unlike anything
you've ever seen,
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00:10:37,437 --> 00:10:41,473
this object rises to about
20 feet off the ground,
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and then it completely
shuts off all propulsion,
and is absolutely silent.
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00:10:46,513 --> 00:10:49,180
You look at
the air force's own files.
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00:10:49,216 --> 00:10:52,417
And they're saying that
what took place here,
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00:10:52,452 --> 00:10:55,353
defies
a terrestrial explanation.
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00:10:55,388 --> 00:10:59,157
I brought some documents
that I personally got
at the national archives
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00:10:59,192 --> 00:11:01,092
from project bluebook files.
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00:11:01,128 --> 00:11:02,894
You can take a look
at some of these here.
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00:11:04,231 --> 00:11:05,730
-Wow.
-[jessica] these are great--
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00:11:05,766 --> 00:11:07,565
-[phil] look at how charred
that is.
-[jessica] yeah.
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00:11:11,772 --> 00:11:13,705
[james] so,
what I basically want
to illustrate here is,
220
00:11:13,740 --> 00:11:16,041
level of seriousness
that the air force took
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00:11:16,076 --> 00:11:17,709
when they were investigating
this case.
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00:11:17,744 --> 00:11:19,811
[jessica] james
has meticulously compiled
223
00:11:19,846 --> 00:11:22,580
hundreds of official
government files on this case.
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00:11:22,616 --> 00:11:24,716
And two things stand out.
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00:11:24,751 --> 00:11:28,386
First,
the government investigation
was exhaustive.
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00:11:28,422 --> 00:11:31,156
The site was extensively
combed for evidence,
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00:11:31,191 --> 00:11:33,324
soil samples were taken
and scrutinized,
228
00:11:33,360 --> 00:11:36,728
every radar station within
a 100 miles was contacted.
229
00:11:36,763 --> 00:11:40,231
They even tried to match
the indentations
at the landing site
230
00:11:40,267 --> 00:11:45,070
with every variety of plane
and helicopter that was
operating in the region.
231
00:11:45,105 --> 00:11:48,106
Despite their efforts,
the project bluebook
investigators
232
00:11:48,141 --> 00:11:51,309
could not come up
with a rational explanation
for what happened.
233
00:11:51,344 --> 00:11:56,014
The other major takeaway,
the investigators
believed officer zamora.
234
00:11:56,049 --> 00:11:58,349
Not only did they
consider him credible,
235
00:11:58,385 --> 00:12:01,419
but that this incident was,
and I quote,
236
00:12:01,455 --> 00:12:04,789
"the best authenticated
landing sighting on record".
237
00:12:04,825 --> 00:12:09,294
And, "one of the major
ufo sightings in the history
of the air force".
238
00:12:10,197 --> 00:12:11,763
So, what's your theory
on this then?
239
00:12:11,798 --> 00:12:14,666
Why would aliens be interested
in this area?
240
00:12:14,701 --> 00:12:19,337
I started looking at
sightings in the '40s and '50s
and '60s,
241
00:12:19,372 --> 00:12:20,872
and I actually took out a map.
242
00:12:20,907 --> 00:12:25,243
And I was looking at proximity
to different
nuclear military operations.
243
00:12:25,278 --> 00:12:27,245
You know,
trinity site 44 miles away,
244
00:12:27,280 --> 00:12:29,581
we got white sands,
holloman air force base.
245
00:12:29,616 --> 00:12:32,250
And I thought, there must be
some sort of correlation,
246
00:12:32,285 --> 00:12:35,053
with our nuclear activity,
our atomic activity,
247
00:12:35,088 --> 00:12:38,890
that had made this kind of
a hot bed for ufo sightings.
248
00:12:38,925 --> 00:12:42,393
[jessica] intense ufo activity
around our
most dangerous weapons
249
00:12:42,429 --> 00:12:45,630
would definitely be an issue
of national security.
250
00:12:45,665 --> 00:12:49,200
Thousands of nuclear tests
have been conducted
in these deserts.
251
00:12:49,236 --> 00:12:52,837
New mexico still has
a stock-pile of
700 nuclear bombs
252
00:12:52,873 --> 00:12:58,009
and over 1,800 active
warheads, that could be
deployed in minutes.
253
00:12:59,579 --> 00:13:03,181
There are structured craft
of unknown origin,
254
00:13:03,216 --> 00:13:05,049
whizzing around with impunity,
255
00:13:05,085 --> 00:13:08,586
under super sensitive
military installations.
256
00:13:08,622 --> 00:13:11,189
We don't know who they are,
where they come from
or what they want.
257
00:13:17,597 --> 00:13:20,465
There are structured craft
of unknown origin,
258
00:13:21,134 --> 00:13:23,067
whizzing around with impunity,
259
00:13:23,103 --> 00:13:26,538
under super sensitive
military installations.
260
00:13:26,573 --> 00:13:29,040
We don't know who they are,
where they come from
or what they want.
261
00:13:30,177 --> 00:13:32,510
The military bases
are all around here,
262
00:13:32,546 --> 00:13:35,513
so I would just think
it's gonna be
a military craft.
263
00:13:35,549 --> 00:13:38,183
But you're saying that
because the military is here,
264
00:13:38,218 --> 00:13:40,752
that's why the ufos are
interested in this location?
265
00:13:40,787 --> 00:13:43,588
That's one likely scenario.
266
00:13:43,623 --> 00:13:46,524
[jessica] if socorro's high
concentration of ufo sightings
267
00:13:46,560 --> 00:13:50,995
is due to its proximity
to the military installations
in the area,
268
00:13:51,031 --> 00:13:53,731
we need to pressure test
that theory.
269
00:13:53,767 --> 00:13:55,967
So, after reviewing
some topographical maps,
270
00:13:56,002 --> 00:13:59,170
we found the most perfect spot
to set up some surveillance.
271
00:13:59,206 --> 00:14:02,540
A mesa,
in the middle of the desert,
located between
272
00:14:02,576 --> 00:14:06,444
the landing site
of the zamora incident
and white sands missile range.
273
00:14:06,479 --> 00:14:10,215
It offers the perfect
elevated vantage point
to monitor the skies
274
00:14:10,250 --> 00:14:13,818
over socorro to the north west
and white sands to the south.
275
00:14:13,854 --> 00:14:17,222
Our objective is to reach
the mesa before nightfall,
276
00:14:17,257 --> 00:14:20,325
and investigate
for any unusual activity.
277
00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:22,894
But getting there?
That's the tricky part.
278
00:14:25,232 --> 00:14:26,197
[phil] come on.
279
00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:29,467
Oh! Woah.
280
00:14:31,404 --> 00:14:33,171
-Jess, up here?
-[jessica] yeah.
281
00:14:33,206 --> 00:14:36,808
We need to get to the
base of that mesa,
try to get up there.
282
00:14:36,843 --> 00:14:38,443
-[jessica] hike on up?
-Yeah.
283
00:14:41,581 --> 00:14:43,147
Hey phil,
we got a river up ahead.
284
00:14:45,151 --> 00:14:48,553
[phil] I'm not sure
how deep this thing is.
Hope these horses swim.
285
00:14:55,896 --> 00:14:58,429
-Looks like there's a passage
through here.
-[jessica] yeah, let's go.
286
00:15:02,135 --> 00:15:05,570
All right, jess.
I don't think the horses
are gonna go any higher.
287
00:15:05,605 --> 00:15:07,872
[jessica] I think
you're right.
288
00:15:07,908 --> 00:15:11,075
[phil] the height
of this mesa,
which rises 1,200 feet,
289
00:15:11,111 --> 00:15:14,946
makes it ideal
for viewing the night sky
without any light pollution.
290
00:15:15,548 --> 00:15:16,915
Getting steep up here.
291
00:15:16,950 --> 00:15:19,217
But getting to the top
won't be easy.
292
00:15:19,252 --> 00:15:21,252
We're facing
a 70 per cent grade climb
293
00:15:21,288 --> 00:15:23,087
over loose shale
with the sheer drop off.
294
00:15:24,391 --> 00:15:25,723
-[phil] you good?
-[jessica] yeah.
295
00:15:26,826 --> 00:15:28,259
[jessica panting]
296
00:15:28,295 --> 00:15:31,095
just looking for snakes,
trying not to fall off
the edge.
297
00:15:31,131 --> 00:15:33,464
[phil] yeah,
watch where you put
your hands.
298
00:15:33,500 --> 00:15:34,432
[phil sighs in exhaustion]
299
00:15:34,467 --> 00:15:35,900
could be
a snake hole anywhere.
300
00:15:38,104 --> 00:15:39,570
[jessica grunts]
301
00:15:39,606 --> 00:15:40,772
[phil] jess, watch your step.
302
00:15:42,475 --> 00:15:43,841
Oh... [bleep]
303
00:15:44,411 --> 00:15:45,476
you got this.
304
00:15:49,749 --> 00:15:51,482
[panting]
305
00:15:52,319 --> 00:15:53,151
[jessica grunts]
306
00:15:59,292 --> 00:16:02,093
well, look around.
307
00:16:02,128 --> 00:16:04,162
We got sky
in every direction here.
308
00:16:04,197 --> 00:16:07,532
Well, if nothing else,
aliens will see us
and say,
309
00:16:07,567 --> 00:16:10,435
"who are those two idiots
that got to top of that hill?"
310
00:16:10,470 --> 00:16:12,270
that's us, hey,
anything it takes.
311
00:16:14,174 --> 00:16:17,909
With nightfall upon us,
I'm attaching a low light lens
to one of our cameras,
312
00:16:17,944 --> 00:16:19,944
which will amplify
the surrounding lights
313
00:16:19,980 --> 00:16:22,280
and allow us
to more easily view objects
314
00:16:22,315 --> 00:16:25,083
that would usually be hidden
in darkness.
315
00:16:25,118 --> 00:16:26,918
Jess has brought
the flare camera,
316
00:16:26,953 --> 00:16:29,721
which has infrared sensors
that can detect
heat signatures
317
00:16:29,756 --> 00:16:31,823
from any airborne object.
318
00:16:31,858 --> 00:16:34,292
If there are any craft
in the sky tonight,
319
00:16:34,327 --> 00:16:36,060
we're gonna see them.
320
00:16:36,096 --> 00:16:38,763
We got 360 view
of this entire area.
321
00:16:38,798 --> 00:16:43,134
Because you have
such a good lock on
the stars in the sky,
322
00:16:43,169 --> 00:16:47,038
I'll search over here
with the flare
where the military bases are.
323
00:16:47,073 --> 00:16:48,373
Okay.
324
00:16:48,408 --> 00:16:51,542
There's been
a big uptake of sightings
from people in this area.
325
00:16:51,578 --> 00:16:55,413
So, just look for anything
that seems even slightly
out of the ordinary.
326
00:16:55,448 --> 00:16:59,050
-I do think between
this camera, and your flare...
-Mm-hm.
327
00:16:59,085 --> 00:17:02,553
...We should hopefully be able
to get whatever that
something is
328
00:17:02,589 --> 00:17:04,455
on tape, to help identify it.
329
00:17:04,491 --> 00:17:06,290
[jessica] yeah.
330
00:17:06,326 --> 00:17:08,659
[phil] I'll be facing
northwest towards socorro,
331
00:17:08,695 --> 00:17:10,928
where lonnie zamora
had his encounter.
332
00:17:10,964 --> 00:17:13,164
While jess will scan
the southern skies towards
333
00:17:13,199 --> 00:17:16,034
holloman air force base
and the white sands
missile range.
334
00:17:19,506 --> 00:17:21,873
So right now,
I can see...
335
00:17:21,908 --> 00:17:26,144
The milky way,
and I'm also seeing
some movement. So...
336
00:17:26,179 --> 00:17:29,447
So far anything that's moving
and blinking, it's a plane.
337
00:17:29,482 --> 00:17:32,984
Anything that's moving
really, really steady
in one direction
338
00:17:33,019 --> 00:17:35,219
and not blinking,
that's a satellite.
339
00:17:35,255 --> 00:17:37,722
What I'm interested
is anything that's moving,
340
00:17:37,757 --> 00:17:39,690
that strays outside
of those parameters.
341
00:17:41,594 --> 00:17:44,062
Oh, I just saw
some lightning down there.
342
00:17:51,538 --> 00:17:52,637
[jessica] nothing yet.
343
00:17:58,711 --> 00:18:01,145
What the hell is that?
344
00:18:02,082 --> 00:18:04,248
What the [bleep]
345
00:18:04,284 --> 00:18:07,752
it's glowing, it's spinning.
346
00:18:07,787 --> 00:18:09,120
Ryan, you getting this,
you getting this?
347
00:18:10,490 --> 00:18:12,523
Jess, right over that.
348
00:18:12,559 --> 00:18:14,125
-[jessica] look at over there!
-[phil] oh!
349
00:18:16,663 --> 00:18:17,829
[bleep]
350
00:18:17,864 --> 00:18:20,231
[jessica] why is this
not showing up on my flare?
351
00:18:20,266 --> 00:18:22,767
[phil] I got it on tape.
You seeing that?
352
00:18:22,802 --> 00:18:24,335
Is it showing up on the flare?
353
00:18:24,370 --> 00:18:26,270
[jessica] no, I can't
get it on the flare.
354
00:18:26,840 --> 00:18:27,872
Come on.
355
00:18:27,907 --> 00:18:29,974
[phil] holy [bleep]!
356
00:18:30,009 --> 00:18:33,678
Oh, my god.
So, it's below cloud level.
357
00:18:33,713 --> 00:18:35,446
Jess, get over here.
358
00:18:35,482 --> 00:18:36,414
[jessica] all right.
359
00:18:37,617 --> 00:18:38,883
Let me see, let me see.
360
00:18:40,253 --> 00:18:42,019
Check that out.
361
00:18:42,055 --> 00:18:44,055
I could not pick that up
on my flare.
362
00:18:44,090 --> 00:18:46,657
It is traveling fast.
363
00:18:46,693 --> 00:18:47,825
[phil] really fast.
364
00:18:48,495 --> 00:18:49,961
Oh, that definitely looks...
365
00:18:51,097 --> 00:18:53,097
-...Like a disk.
-Oh, my gosh.
366
00:18:53,800 --> 00:18:55,299
Holy [bleep], I lost it.
367
00:18:57,770 --> 00:19:00,238
[jessica] the object appeared
to accelerate out of frame
368
00:19:00,273 --> 00:19:02,707
and we were unable
to locate it after that,
369
00:19:02,742 --> 00:19:07,545
leaving phil and I
to try to make sense of
what the hell we just saw.
370
00:19:07,580 --> 00:19:12,350
-So, it came from
the direction of socorro.
-[jessica] uh-huh.
371
00:19:12,385 --> 00:19:14,519
[phil] it pivoted suddenly
and started heading towards
372
00:19:14,554 --> 00:19:16,954
white sands
and holloman air force base.
373
00:19:16,990 --> 00:19:18,890
[jessica] it didn't have
a heat signature.
374
00:19:18,925 --> 00:19:22,260
[phil] so, it's not a plane,
'cause the thermal would've
definitely picked up
375
00:19:22,295 --> 00:19:24,195
on the heat coming off it.
376
00:19:24,230 --> 00:19:28,533
The spin is weird.
The speed,
the height is weird.
377
00:19:28,568 --> 00:19:30,201
I don't know what that is.
378
00:19:30,870 --> 00:19:32,403
We saw a ufo.
379
00:19:32,438 --> 00:19:34,372
An unidentified flying object.
380
00:19:42,215 --> 00:19:46,751
The spin is weird.
The speed,
the height is weird.
381
00:19:46,786 --> 00:19:48,252
I don't know what that is.
382
00:19:48,721 --> 00:19:50,321
We saw a ufo.
383
00:19:50,356 --> 00:19:52,323
An unidentified flying object.
384
00:19:53,793 --> 00:19:57,195
The shape, speed and rotation
of the object we saw tonight,
385
00:19:57,230 --> 00:20:00,665
is similar to the, now famous,
video captured by
386
00:20:00,700 --> 00:20:02,533
united states navy
f/a 18 pilots.
387
00:20:02,569 --> 00:20:05,903
-[on radio] look at
that thing!
-It's...
388
00:20:05,939 --> 00:20:09,207
[jessica] for me
the similarities between
our ufo and the navy's
389
00:20:09,242 --> 00:20:11,242
are impossible to ignore.
390
00:20:11,277 --> 00:20:13,544
But what exactly
are these objects?
391
00:20:13,580 --> 00:20:17,114
In the case of
the f/a 18 sighting,
our own government admits,
392
00:20:17,150 --> 00:20:18,816
they haven't got a clue.
393
00:20:18,851 --> 00:20:22,686
-[on radio] see the disk?
-[on radio] my gosh.
394
00:20:22,689 --> 00:20:25,256
[phil] it's not lost on me
that lonnie zamora claimed
to see
395
00:20:25,291 --> 00:20:29,694
a strange egg-shaped craft
touch down just ten miles
from this location.
396
00:20:29,729 --> 00:20:33,064
But as I replay in my mind
what jess and I
experienced tonight,
397
00:20:33,099 --> 00:20:36,234
something happened just before
the object appeared.
398
00:20:36,269 --> 00:20:38,436
Lightning lit up the sky.
399
00:20:38,471 --> 00:20:40,805
Oh, I just saw
some lightning down there.
400
00:20:40,840 --> 00:20:44,242
I can't help but wonder
if that could be a clue
to understanding
401
00:20:44,277 --> 00:20:46,277
what is really going on
here in new mexico.
402
00:20:54,287 --> 00:20:56,787
Oh! That was...
I wasn't prepared for that.
403
00:20:57,890 --> 00:21:01,158
Oh, that is so steep though.
Holy [bleep] don't look.
404
00:21:01,194 --> 00:21:02,960
Oh, my gosh,
I'm not gonna look.
405
00:21:02,996 --> 00:21:05,229
Why are you taking me
up this road?
406
00:21:06,799 --> 00:21:08,232
[phil] oh yeah, get this.
407
00:21:08,268 --> 00:21:13,571
Last year, new mexico had
twice the normal rate
of lightning strikes.
408
00:21:15,575 --> 00:21:19,977
The same year
that new mexico is reporting
way more ufo sightings.
409
00:21:20,012 --> 00:21:23,881
And last night,
lightning struck right before
I saw the object.
410
00:21:23,916 --> 00:21:25,683
Maybe it's all connected.
411
00:21:25,718 --> 00:21:28,286
[jessica] I'll admit that
some types of lightning,
like ball lightning,
412
00:21:28,321 --> 00:21:32,623
have been used to explain
some ufos. But I don't think
that's what we saw.
413
00:21:35,461 --> 00:21:38,262
[phil] there happens to be
a facility
at the top of this hill,
414
00:21:38,298 --> 00:21:43,034
that specializes
in rare atmospheric phenomena
in new mexico.
415
00:21:43,069 --> 00:21:45,136
Called them up this morning,
they're happy to see us.
416
00:21:45,171 --> 00:21:46,971
So, let's see
what answers they have.
417
00:21:53,913 --> 00:21:55,446
-[harald] hello.
-[jessica] hi.
418
00:21:55,481 --> 00:21:56,347
How are you?
419
00:21:56,382 --> 00:21:57,448
-We're good.
-[jessica] good.
420
00:21:57,483 --> 00:21:59,183
-Come on in.
The door right there.
-Thank you.
421
00:21:59,218 --> 00:22:00,818
[phil] the door that says,
"danger, keep out"?
422
00:22:00,853 --> 00:22:02,787
Don't worry about it,
that's the one.
423
00:22:02,822 --> 00:22:05,589
[jessica] I'll let you go
first. You're welcome.
424
00:22:05,625 --> 00:22:07,825
[phil] I've arranged a meeting
with harald edens,
425
00:22:07,860 --> 00:22:11,562
the director of
the langmuir laboratory
for atmospheric research.
426
00:22:11,597 --> 00:22:13,998
This guy studies lightning
for a living.
427
00:22:14,033 --> 00:22:15,599
Yeah, I'm pretty jealous.
428
00:22:18,571 --> 00:22:20,004
Welcome to the top
of the world.
429
00:22:24,410 --> 00:22:26,143
[phil] here's why we are here.
430
00:22:26,179 --> 00:22:29,814
One theory I've had
about ufo sightings
around here,
431
00:22:29,849 --> 00:22:32,083
is it could just be lightning.
432
00:22:32,118 --> 00:22:34,652
Or some kind of
atmospheric phenomenon
making people think
433
00:22:34,687 --> 00:22:37,355
-they're seeing
a flying aircraft, so...
-Right.
434
00:22:37,390 --> 00:22:40,124
...Have you seen examples
of lightning that
could be confused
435
00:22:40,159 --> 00:22:41,425
with something like ufo?
436
00:22:42,261 --> 00:22:43,728
Yes, I have.
Let's go check it out.
437
00:22:45,531 --> 00:22:48,833
[phil] since 1963,
scientists here
have been studying
438
00:22:48,868 --> 00:22:52,236
and provoking lightning
with ingenious technology.
439
00:22:52,271 --> 00:22:54,739
They've used weather balloons,
electric cables
440
00:22:54,774 --> 00:22:59,143
and even rockets shot directly
into storm clouds.
441
00:22:59,178 --> 00:23:02,913
I feel like
this whole building looks like
the coolest movie set ever.
442
00:23:02,949 --> 00:23:06,584
It's a time capsule now.
Because nowadays, everything
can be done by just,
443
00:23:06,619 --> 00:23:07,918
basically computer right here.
444
00:23:09,989 --> 00:23:11,856
[phil] the scientists here
have managed to capture
445
00:23:11,891 --> 00:23:14,425
incredible footage
of all kinds of lightning,
446
00:23:14,460 --> 00:23:16,927
and extremely rare
atmospheric phenomenon.
447
00:23:16,963 --> 00:23:21,064
Which could explain
the massive number
of ufo sightings in the area.
448
00:23:21,067 --> 00:23:23,033
This is intracloud lightning.
449
00:23:23,069 --> 00:23:24,602
[jessica] whoa.
450
00:23:24,637 --> 00:23:26,070
[harald] so,
intracloud lightning is
451
00:23:26,105 --> 00:23:27,638
entirely within
the thunderstorm.
452
00:23:27,673 --> 00:23:30,341
It lights up. The people see
like a flash of light
suddenly,
453
00:23:30,376 --> 00:23:33,844
but you may not know
there is
lightning storm around.
454
00:23:33,880 --> 00:23:36,847
[phil] another type
of rare lightning takes place
about 50 miles
455
00:23:36,883 --> 00:23:38,349
above the surface
of the earth.
456
00:23:38,384 --> 00:23:39,850
We have something
called sprites.
457
00:23:39,886 --> 00:23:41,452
That looks like
an alien invasion.
458
00:23:41,487 --> 00:23:44,221
And that does look like
straight out of
war of the worlds.
459
00:23:44,257 --> 00:23:46,223
[phil] the luminous tendrils
in sprite lightning
460
00:23:46,259 --> 00:23:48,659
can spread out
for dozens of miles.
461
00:23:48,694 --> 00:23:52,430
Which could easily
be misinterpreted as something
from another world.
462
00:23:52,465 --> 00:23:54,999
But I am eager to ask
dr. Edens his opinion
463
00:23:55,034 --> 00:23:56,767
about a theoretical type of
lightning,
464
00:23:56,803 --> 00:24:01,739
that many people believe
could be the answer to the
majority of ufo reports.
465
00:24:01,774 --> 00:24:05,376
What about ball lightning?
First of all, is it even real?
466
00:24:05,411 --> 00:24:08,712
I think the evidence
about ball lightning
is so overwhelming
467
00:24:08,748 --> 00:24:10,748
that you basically
have to admit
468
00:24:10,783 --> 00:24:12,783
so to speak,
that ball lightning
probably exists.
469
00:24:13,286 --> 00:24:14,885
[thunder rumbling]
470
00:24:14,921 --> 00:24:17,922
[jessica] ball lightning
is usually described as
glowing orbs of electricity
471
00:24:17,957 --> 00:24:21,826
that have been reported
both in the sky
and close to the ground.
472
00:24:21,861 --> 00:24:24,962
They appear for a few seconds
or even a few minutes.
473
00:24:24,997 --> 00:24:30,000
So, it would be something
that would be glowing,
in the air.
474
00:24:30,036 --> 00:24:32,403
-Yeah.
-Persisting for
at least several seconds,
475
00:24:32,438 --> 00:24:34,071
and potentially moving.
476
00:24:34,106 --> 00:24:35,539
It's usually moving.
477
00:24:35,575 --> 00:24:37,708
Based on eyewitness reports.
478
00:24:37,743 --> 00:24:40,344
[phil] the fact that
a top atmospheric scientist
believes
479
00:24:40,379 --> 00:24:42,780
ball lightning is
a real phenomenon,
480
00:24:42,815 --> 00:24:45,816
means it could easily
be misidentified as a ufo.
481
00:24:45,852 --> 00:24:48,185
And after seeing
unusual forms of lightning
482
00:24:48,221 --> 00:24:51,655
recorded in the same skies
where people
are reporting ufos,
483
00:24:51,691 --> 00:24:53,724
it could explain
a lot of sightings.
484
00:24:53,759 --> 00:24:57,828
But I'll admit,
these examples don't match
what we saw last night
485
00:24:57,864 --> 00:25:02,333
and whatever
lonnie zamora witnessed
in 1964.
486
00:25:02,368 --> 00:25:05,769
With questions still looming,
we decide to check-in
with josh
487
00:25:05,805 --> 00:25:07,104
to update him on our progress.
488
00:25:07,874 --> 00:25:09,240
-Hey, josh.
-Hi.
489
00:25:09,275 --> 00:25:10,741
Greetings, earthlings.
490
00:25:10,776 --> 00:25:13,577
How goes the search?
Any little green men yet?
491
00:25:13,613 --> 00:25:17,414
No little green men,
but man, we have seen
some weird stuff.
492
00:25:17,450 --> 00:25:18,749
Really?
493
00:25:18,784 --> 00:25:19,617
-Oh, yeah.
-Yeah.
494
00:25:19,652 --> 00:25:22,253
We actually went to
the top of a mesa
495
00:25:22,288 --> 00:25:23,988
-and sure enough
when we were up there,
-yeah.
496
00:25:24,023 --> 00:25:25,523
We saw a weird glowing light.
497
00:25:25,558 --> 00:25:27,758
What the [bleep]!
498
00:25:28,895 --> 00:25:29,960
It was strange.
499
00:25:29,996 --> 00:25:32,429
Wait, phil, did you see a ufo?
500
00:25:32,465 --> 00:25:34,565
Yeah, that's what
I'm trying to tell you.
501
00:25:34,634 --> 00:25:36,867
But for me
it still keeps coming down
to the fact that there is
502
00:25:36,903 --> 00:25:39,336
so much military activity
around here.
503
00:25:39,372 --> 00:25:42,339
To your point, phil,
there are a lot of things
flying around up there.
504
00:25:42,375 --> 00:25:44,341
I wanna play something
for you actually.
505
00:25:44,377 --> 00:25:47,711
This is a conversation
between two commercial pilots
506
00:25:47,747 --> 00:25:51,682
that was captured
fairly recently in the area
that you are investigating.
507
00:25:51,717 --> 00:25:52,883
Listen to this. You ready?
508
00:25:52,919 --> 00:25:54,018
-Yeah.
-[jessica] mm-hm, yeah.
509
00:26:24,016 --> 00:26:25,215
Whoa.
510
00:26:25,251 --> 00:26:28,285
-Did he just say ufo?
-Oh, ufo!
511
00:26:28,921 --> 00:26:30,187
[phil] he really said that.
512
00:26:30,222 --> 00:26:32,389
[josh] yes, this is literally
just one account.
513
00:26:32,425 --> 00:26:34,325
There are several of these
that've recently happened.
514
00:26:34,360 --> 00:26:36,093
We're talking
commercial pilots,
515
00:26:36,128 --> 00:26:40,030
air force personnel,
air traffic controllers,
all in this area.
516
00:26:40,066 --> 00:26:42,333
They're really credible,
and after a lot of work
517
00:26:42,368 --> 00:26:45,169
I have finally convinced
one of them to talk with you
518
00:26:45,204 --> 00:26:49,006
about another mass sighting
that happened just last week.
519
00:26:51,677 --> 00:26:55,045
[jessica] until now,
few have gone on record
to talk about this
520
00:26:55,081 --> 00:26:57,414
new ufo sighting over socorro.
521
00:26:57,450 --> 00:27:01,819
But josh managed to track down
a woman that works
at a nearby military base.
522
00:27:01,854 --> 00:27:03,754
Who not only
witnessed the event,
523
00:27:03,789 --> 00:27:05,889
she caught it on camera.
524
00:27:05,925 --> 00:27:11,261
She's agreed to speak with us,
but only on the condition
that we obscure her identity.
525
00:27:11,297 --> 00:27:14,765
I know
that you didn't wanna have
your image on camera,
526
00:27:14,834 --> 00:27:18,335
so I really appreciate
you taking the time
to talk with us.
527
00:27:18,371 --> 00:27:20,804
-Yeah, definitely.
-Can you walk us
through the night?
528
00:27:20,840 --> 00:27:23,173
Like, what did you see?
529
00:27:23,209 --> 00:27:26,110
[witness] I was driving home
from socorro to magdalena.
530
00:27:26,846 --> 00:27:28,445
I had my kids in the car.
531
00:27:28,481 --> 00:27:31,548
And I started to hear
this rattling in my engine.
532
00:27:31,584 --> 00:27:33,584
So I pulled the car over.
533
00:27:33,619 --> 00:27:37,287
And that's when I noticed
a single light
coming towards us in the sky.
534
00:27:41,327 --> 00:27:45,429
So, I gave my daughter
my cellphone and asked her
to film it for us.
535
00:27:45,464 --> 00:27:48,232
[jessica] when we pull up
the footage
that her daughter captured,
536
00:27:48,267 --> 00:27:51,568
you can clearly see
an unidentified light.
537
00:27:51,604 --> 00:27:53,637
-Whoa.
-[phil] oh. Wow.
538
00:27:53,673 --> 00:27:55,039
Right there.
539
00:27:55,074 --> 00:27:57,374
There's definitely something
in the sky.
540
00:27:57,410 --> 00:27:59,743
It's hard to make out exactly
what we are seeing,
541
00:27:59,779 --> 00:28:04,248
but a closer look
reveals something
even stranger.
542
00:28:04,283 --> 00:28:06,784
There is more than one,
oh, my god.
543
00:28:12,825 --> 00:28:16,560
[josh] my team is reviewing
eyewitness footage
captured just last week
544
00:28:16,595 --> 00:28:19,830
of unexplained lights
in the socorro night sky,
545
00:28:19,865 --> 00:28:22,666
by a woman who wishes
to remain anonymous.
546
00:28:22,702 --> 00:28:26,003
[jessica] there is
more than one, oh, my god.
547
00:28:26,038 --> 00:28:28,772
[witness] you could see
it was actually
multiple lights.
548
00:28:28,808 --> 00:28:30,841
[jessica] oh, my gosh.
Look at that.
549
00:28:30,876 --> 00:28:33,143
-I do see
multiple lights.
-Yeah, me too.
550
00:28:33,179 --> 00:28:35,045
You can see there is what,
three, four different lights.
551
00:28:35,081 --> 00:28:36,547
[jessica] yeah,
like a whole line of them.
552
00:28:38,617 --> 00:28:39,583
Interesting.
553
00:28:39,618 --> 00:28:41,885
So you don't think you saw
just a single ufo,
554
00:28:41,921 --> 00:28:44,188
you think you saw,
what, a formation of them?
555
00:28:44,223 --> 00:28:47,024
It seemed kind of like
the fleet of craft.
556
00:28:47,059 --> 00:28:49,393
Which direction
did you see those lights?
557
00:28:49,428 --> 00:28:51,528
I saw the lights
to the southeast,
558
00:28:51,564 --> 00:28:54,231
hovering right around
south baldy peak.
559
00:28:54,266 --> 00:28:58,769
Heard stories about ufos,
and aliens but
I've always been skeptic.
560
00:28:58,804 --> 00:29:02,673
After this,
I don't know what to think.
561
00:29:02,708 --> 00:29:06,043
[jessica] according
to our eyewitness,
the strange fleet of craft
562
00:29:06,078 --> 00:29:08,178
were flying over
south baldy peak,
563
00:29:08,214 --> 00:29:12,282
just east of socorro,
and the legendary
zamora landing site.
564
00:29:12,318 --> 00:29:15,953
So, we're heading
over 10,000 feet
into the magdalena mountains
565
00:29:15,988 --> 00:29:18,288
and thank god there is a road.
566
00:29:18,324 --> 00:29:20,858
-[phil] that is really high.
-[jessica] that is like...
567
00:29:20,893 --> 00:29:22,693
-Keeping my eyes
on the road. Okay.
-[phil] you got this.
568
00:29:22,728 --> 00:29:23,794
[jessica] I got it.
569
00:29:23,829 --> 00:29:26,363
This position also offers
a direct line of sight
570
00:29:26,398 --> 00:29:27,965
towards white sands
missile range,
571
00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:31,168
and holloman air force base
to the southeast.
572
00:29:31,203 --> 00:29:34,438
With no lightning
in the forecast,
there will be no mistaking
573
00:29:34,473 --> 00:29:37,174
anything we see
as atmospheric phenomenon.
574
00:29:37,209 --> 00:29:41,879
And tonight, I'll be deploying
a brand new technique
to hunt for ufos.
575
00:29:41,914 --> 00:29:44,214
And it's gonna
blow phil's mind.
576
00:29:44,250 --> 00:29:46,383
[phil] what is this?
577
00:29:46,418 --> 00:29:47,951
[jessica] I'll show you.
578
00:29:47,987 --> 00:29:49,887
Three, two, one.
579
00:29:54,894 --> 00:29:56,126
[phil] what?
580
00:29:56,162 --> 00:29:58,061
[jessica] right?
581
00:29:58,097 --> 00:30:01,832
So, one of the theories
running around
the ufo circles right now
582
00:30:01,867 --> 00:30:04,368
is that aliens
are attracted to anything
583
00:30:04,403 --> 00:30:06,336
that has
a lot of lights and lasers.
584
00:30:06,372 --> 00:30:08,305
So, I figured
we'd bring this out here,
585
00:30:08,340 --> 00:30:10,541
we're out
in the middle of nowhere
586
00:30:10,576 --> 00:30:12,609
and try and lure some ufos in.
587
00:30:12,645 --> 00:30:16,313
So, they're like,
space cats in the sky
following laser pointers?
588
00:30:16,348 --> 00:30:17,915
Pretty much.
589
00:30:17,950 --> 00:30:22,186
It may sound far-fetched,
but a few years ago,
an astrophysicist at mit
590
00:30:22,221 --> 00:30:25,389
proposed shooting
a high powered laser
into deep space
591
00:30:25,424 --> 00:30:28,158
to attract extraterrestrials
to earth.
592
00:30:28,194 --> 00:30:30,761
They have yet to put the plan
into action,
593
00:30:30,796 --> 00:30:33,063
so allow me
to make some history.
594
00:30:33,098 --> 00:30:35,666
Now, while my setup
won't beam into deep space,
595
00:30:35,701 --> 00:30:38,802
it is reaching
the outer edges
of our atmosphere.
596
00:30:38,838 --> 00:30:41,638
So, if any visitors to earth
are in the neighborhood,
597
00:30:41,674 --> 00:30:44,741
maybe this
will get their attention.
598
00:30:44,777 --> 00:30:48,645
You know, the other night,
when we filmed what we filmed
in the sky, I realized that,
599
00:30:48,681 --> 00:30:51,148
that low light ir camera
didn't quite have
600
00:30:51,183 --> 00:30:53,050
the resolution
I was looking for.
601
00:30:53,085 --> 00:30:54,918
This is the pvs 14.
602
00:30:54,954 --> 00:30:58,322
This is essentially
military-grade
night vision technology.
603
00:30:58,357 --> 00:31:01,491
This thing is gonna let us see
absolutely everything
out there.
604
00:31:01,527 --> 00:31:02,960
Well, I'm gonna head out
with my night vision.
605
00:31:02,995 --> 00:31:04,995
Are you just gonna sit here
and stare at your lasers?
606
00:31:05,030 --> 00:31:08,699
As much as I would like to
hang out here and sing
pink floyd to myself,
607
00:31:08,734 --> 00:31:12,236
you know a lot of people say
that when they see these ufos,
608
00:31:12,271 --> 00:31:14,805
that there is not any sound
that they can hear.
609
00:31:14,840 --> 00:31:17,507
But maybe it's just because
the sound they do emit
610
00:31:17,543 --> 00:31:19,943
is just too faint
for the human ear to pick up.
611
00:31:19,979 --> 00:31:22,179
So, I figured I'd bring
the parabolic mic,
612
00:31:22,214 --> 00:31:25,816
you can be the eyes,
I'll be the ears,
lasers will be the lure,
613
00:31:25,851 --> 00:31:28,385
and any sound that I pick up,
I can record,
614
00:31:28,420 --> 00:31:31,288
and we can go back and listen
and analyze it later.
615
00:31:31,323 --> 00:31:33,023
All right. Sounds like a plan.
616
00:31:42,067 --> 00:31:45,769
All right.
This thing can see anything
out here in the dark.
617
00:31:45,804 --> 00:31:49,106
This military-grade scope
can amplify
any surrounding light
618
00:31:49,141 --> 00:31:52,209
more than
any night vision device
in the world.
619
00:31:52,244 --> 00:31:55,279
But there's one problem,
is that it can't record.
620
00:31:55,314 --> 00:31:59,850
So that's why
we 3d printed this.
621
00:31:59,885 --> 00:32:03,987
A mount for the scope
that attaches to a smartphone
622
00:32:04,023 --> 00:32:06,390
that we can record on,
so we'll get my evidence.
623
00:32:10,729 --> 00:32:12,930
Look at that.
There's just lasers.
624
00:32:16,068 --> 00:32:19,503
I don't know
if anybody's ever tried
to actually record
625
00:32:19,538 --> 00:32:23,140
a ufo sound
with something like this.
626
00:32:24,543 --> 00:32:25,976
Maybe we'll get lucky.
627
00:32:37,122 --> 00:32:39,156
Wait, I'm getting something.
628
00:32:39,191 --> 00:32:40,424
[low hum]
629
00:32:43,429 --> 00:32:45,562
so, I'm kinda picking up
630
00:32:45,597 --> 00:32:48,999
a persistent hum
in this direction.
631
00:32:49,034 --> 00:32:50,167
A low hum.
632
00:32:54,340 --> 00:32:55,439
There, right there.
633
00:32:57,609 --> 00:32:59,076
What the [bleep]
634
00:33:04,550 --> 00:33:05,415
phil, are you there?
635
00:33:06,418 --> 00:33:08,118
[phil] yeah, I'm here,
how's it going?
636
00:33:08,153 --> 00:33:10,420
-[pager beeping]
-I keep hearing things.
637
00:33:10,456 --> 00:33:12,689
[phil] um,
what are you hearing?
638
00:33:12,725 --> 00:33:15,959
[jessica] I don't know
what it is. It's kind of
like this low hum.
639
00:33:15,995 --> 00:33:19,129
Are you seeing anything
or hearing anything
on your end?
640
00:33:19,164 --> 00:33:21,932
[phil] I'm hearing nothing
on my end.
641
00:33:21,967 --> 00:33:24,034
It is completely silent
out here.
642
00:33:24,069 --> 00:33:26,136
Okay, I'll let you know
if I hear anything else.
643
00:33:31,076 --> 00:33:33,176
[jessica] after an hour
of scanning the skies,
644
00:33:33,212 --> 00:33:36,546
we're definitely
not getting lucky.
645
00:33:36,582 --> 00:33:37,748
And then...
646
00:33:39,118 --> 00:33:39,850
Wait.
647
00:33:40,352 --> 00:33:41,451
It's back.
648
00:33:41,487 --> 00:33:42,819
That hum is back.
649
00:33:42,855 --> 00:33:44,087
[low hum]
650
00:33:44,123 --> 00:33:46,189
[phil] whoa, whoa, whoa,
do you see that?
Do you see that?
651
00:33:46,859 --> 00:33:48,625
What the hell is that?
652
00:33:48,660 --> 00:33:50,027
It's traveling south.
653
00:33:51,797 --> 00:33:53,263
It's hard to keep focus on it.
654
00:33:55,134 --> 00:33:57,434
It's starting to disappear
behind the clouds.
655
00:34:01,173 --> 00:34:02,406
Jess, you there?
Are you there?
656
00:34:02,441 --> 00:34:04,908
-[jessica] I'm here.
-I saw something.
657
00:34:04,943 --> 00:34:06,610
[phil] I don't know
what that was.
658
00:34:06,645 --> 00:34:09,980
It wasn't flashing
like a plane and I don't think
it was a satellite.
659
00:34:10,015 --> 00:34:13,283
We've been seeing
some weird stuff out here,
so who knows.
660
00:34:13,318 --> 00:34:15,318
[jessica] do you still
have eyes on it?
661
00:34:15,354 --> 00:34:19,222
[phil] no, I lost it.
It was heading south,
towards white sands.
662
00:34:23,462 --> 00:34:25,662
[jessica] I continue listening
for any strange sounds,
663
00:34:25,697 --> 00:34:29,266
while phil keeps scanning
the stars with
the military-grade scope.
664
00:34:33,872 --> 00:34:38,442
But after scouring the sky
for hours, there is
nothing else to report.
665
00:34:39,812 --> 00:34:42,379
[phil] I'm shocked that
jess and I managed to record
666
00:34:42,414 --> 00:34:47,017
not one but two
unidentified flying objects
in a single week out here.
667
00:34:47,052 --> 00:34:49,920
Both were travelling
in the same direction, south,
668
00:34:49,955 --> 00:34:51,721
towards white sands
missile range.
669
00:34:54,226 --> 00:34:56,693
So, as a new day dawns,
we work the phones
670
00:34:56,728 --> 00:35:00,831
to try to gain access
to this highly secured
military base.
671
00:35:00,866 --> 00:35:05,936
Unfortunately,
our request for information
have so far, been denied.
672
00:35:05,971 --> 00:35:09,306
[jessica] yeah,
real shocker there.
But here's the good news.
673
00:35:09,341 --> 00:35:13,076
We located
a fellow investigator
who has uncovered a new link
674
00:35:13,112 --> 00:35:15,045
between
the white sands missile range
675
00:35:15,080 --> 00:35:18,415
and the 1964
lonnie zamora incident.
676
00:35:18,450 --> 00:35:21,685
And he has a paper trail
to prove it.
677
00:35:21,720 --> 00:35:22,919
-Hi.
-Hey, dave.
678
00:35:22,955 --> 00:35:24,754
Glad we could finally
track you down.
679
00:35:24,790 --> 00:35:26,556
Nice to talk to you.
680
00:35:26,592 --> 00:35:29,092
[phil] dave thomas
is a scientist, mathematician,
681
00:35:29,128 --> 00:35:31,128
and president of
the investigative group,
682
00:35:31,163 --> 00:35:33,630
new mexicans for science
and reason.
683
00:35:33,665 --> 00:35:36,500
And after tireless research
and study, he believes
684
00:35:36,535 --> 00:35:38,935
he's finally cracked
the zamora case.
685
00:35:38,971 --> 00:35:41,438
So, you have great
new evidence on
the socorro incident,
686
00:35:41,473 --> 00:35:43,140
do you mind
sharing that with us?
687
00:35:43,175 --> 00:35:46,476
I think the best explanation
is probably is this.
688
00:35:52,584 --> 00:35:56,353
It sounds extraordinary
that ufos visited socorro,
new mexico,
689
00:35:56,388 --> 00:35:58,622
to keep tabs
on our nuclear arsenal.
690
00:35:58,657 --> 00:36:00,924
Unless, of course,
it's happened before
691
00:36:00,959 --> 00:36:04,127
and many claim it did,
across the pond.
692
00:36:04,163 --> 00:36:08,465
It's called
the rendlesham forest incident
dubbed britain's roswell.
693
00:36:08,500 --> 00:36:13,904
In 1980, military personnel
claimed to spot ufos
near raf bentwaters,
694
00:36:13,939 --> 00:36:16,506
an airbase in England
that was being used
at the time
695
00:36:16,542 --> 00:36:18,041
by the u.S. Air force.
696
00:36:18,076 --> 00:36:20,610
I've personally investigated
this story and met with
697
00:36:20,646 --> 00:36:22,579
former deputy commander
of the base,
698
00:36:22,614 --> 00:36:24,514
lieutenant colonel
charles holt.
699
00:36:24,550 --> 00:36:26,416
[man 1] there it is,
I see it too.
700
00:36:26,451 --> 00:36:27,450
[man 2] what is it?
701
00:36:27,486 --> 00:36:29,085
[man 1] we don't
know, sir.
702
00:36:29,121 --> 00:36:32,722
[josh] colonel holt claimed
that an unidentified craft
shot a beam of light
703
00:36:32,758 --> 00:36:35,392
into the base's
weapon storage facility,
704
00:36:35,427 --> 00:36:38,728
which had long been rumored
to house nuclear weapons.
705
00:36:38,764 --> 00:36:41,932
If an alien craft
really did visit that base,
706
00:36:41,967 --> 00:36:43,767
maybe now, we know why.
707
00:36:48,707 --> 00:36:52,142
[josh] jess and phil
have been investigating
unidentified objects
708
00:36:52,177 --> 00:36:55,011
that have been reported
over socorro, new mexico
709
00:36:55,047 --> 00:37:01,585
since officer lonnie zamora
claimed to have encountered
an alien craft in 1964.
710
00:37:01,620 --> 00:37:05,422
And scientist dave thomas
might have just discovered
hard evidence,
711
00:37:05,457 --> 00:37:10,393
that can finally explain
one of the most iconic events
in ufo history.
712
00:37:10,429 --> 00:37:14,497
I think that explanation,
probably is this.
713
00:37:14,533 --> 00:37:16,566
-Oh, that is interesting.
-Oh, wow.
714
00:37:16,602 --> 00:37:21,238
The white sands missile range
was testing
the lunar surveyor,
715
00:37:21,273 --> 00:37:23,907
on April 24th, 1964.
716
00:37:23,942 --> 00:37:26,176
And we have logs
from the range.
717
00:37:27,746 --> 00:37:30,447
[phil] April 24th, 1964,
718
00:37:30,482 --> 00:37:33,750
the very same day,
lonnie zamora
had his encounter.
719
00:37:33,785 --> 00:37:37,220
And according to the test logs
from the
white sands missile range,
720
00:37:37,256 --> 00:37:41,791
it's the same day they were
testing this highly secretive
lunar surveyor.
721
00:37:41,827 --> 00:37:45,061
Keep in mind,
this was at the height
of the space race.
722
00:37:45,097 --> 00:37:49,699
And five full years before
neil armstrong and buzz aldrin
landed on the moon.
723
00:37:49,735 --> 00:37:52,602
The surveyor
had three landing pods,
724
00:37:52,638 --> 00:37:55,105
and then it had
four rocket engines.
725
00:37:55,140 --> 00:37:59,509
And yeah, would have been
one of the strangest gadgets
you can imagine.
726
00:37:59,544 --> 00:38:03,179
One of the things that lonnie
mentioned seeing
when you came across the ufo,
727
00:38:03,215 --> 00:38:07,083
was the fact that it had this
blue flame shooting up
from underneath it
728
00:38:07,119 --> 00:38:09,653
which scorched the earth
around it.
What could that have been?
729
00:38:09,688 --> 00:38:13,390
I think
what they were testing is,
there's these rockets,
730
00:38:13,425 --> 00:38:15,258
they were on the bottom
of the craft.
731
00:38:15,294 --> 00:38:18,028
Lonnie zamora did see
something strange,
732
00:38:18,063 --> 00:38:20,830
but we think it's probably
from white sands,
733
00:38:20,866 --> 00:38:22,732
not from outer space.
734
00:38:22,768 --> 00:38:25,735
Is there anything else
about zamora's description
that you think
735
00:38:25,771 --> 00:38:28,305
matches up
to this lunar lander?
736
00:38:28,340 --> 00:38:30,940
The two guys in the coveralls
could have been...
737
00:38:32,577 --> 00:38:34,244
...The people in
the helicopter.
738
00:38:34,813 --> 00:38:36,513
That is interesting.
739
00:38:36,548 --> 00:38:40,083
Since gravity on the moon
is six times less than that
on the earth,
740
00:38:40,118 --> 00:38:42,218
the surveyor was suspended
from a helicopter
741
00:38:42,254 --> 00:38:44,921
to mimic the conditions
of a lunar landing.
742
00:38:44,956 --> 00:38:48,224
And that helicopter
was piloted by two people.
743
00:38:48,260 --> 00:38:51,761
The same number of beings
that officer zamora described.
744
00:38:51,797 --> 00:38:56,433
Dave also has an explanation
for one of the landing's
most puzzling details,
745
00:38:56,468 --> 00:39:00,437
the strange symbol
that officer zamora
reported adorning the craft.
746
00:39:00,472 --> 00:39:05,008
Lonnie zamora actually said
he saw some sort of symbol
on the side of the craft.
747
00:39:05,043 --> 00:39:05,875
The logo...
748
00:39:07,012 --> 00:39:10,613
...That lonnie saw,
may have been...
749
00:39:11,917 --> 00:39:15,051
...From, uh,
hughes aircraft company.
750
00:39:15,087 --> 00:39:17,387
[phil] the hughes aircraft
company actually built
751
00:39:17,422 --> 00:39:20,023
the first lunar surveyor
for nasa.
752
00:39:20,058 --> 00:39:24,127
And that actually matches up
to a known company
at the time?
753
00:39:24,162 --> 00:39:27,163
Pretty close to what's
on howard hughes's
business card.
754
00:39:28,066 --> 00:39:30,433
Man, that's a pretty
good match.
755
00:39:30,469 --> 00:39:31,935
[phil] yeah, I can see it.
756
00:39:31,970 --> 00:39:35,105
While not an exact match,
you can definitely see
the similarities,
757
00:39:35,140 --> 00:39:38,708
considering lonnie zamora
sketched the symbol he saw
from memory.
758
00:39:38,744 --> 00:39:43,179
How come project bluebook
didn't know white sands
was launching,
759
00:39:43,215 --> 00:39:45,248
you know, test equipment
that day?
760
00:39:45,283 --> 00:39:49,652
You know, when you work on
a classified facility like
white sands missile range,
761
00:39:49,688 --> 00:39:53,656
they have
compartmentalization
and need-to-know.
762
00:39:53,692 --> 00:39:57,160
So, the government might have
been keeping secrets
from itself, essentially?
763
00:39:57,195 --> 00:39:58,428
Uh, it does it every day.
764
00:39:59,564 --> 00:40:01,965
-Thank you, dave.
-Thank you, dave.
765
00:40:02,000 --> 00:40:04,134
All right, what do you think?
766
00:40:04,169 --> 00:40:08,171
Well, this socorro thing,
completely unexplainable.
767
00:40:08,206 --> 00:40:11,674
-Mm-hm.
-And bizarre.
And then we talked to dave.
768
00:40:12,210 --> 00:40:14,277
I have to say,
769
00:40:14,312 --> 00:40:16,613
what dave is bringing
to the table,
770
00:40:17,616 --> 00:40:20,083
-is tough to ignore.
-It makes so much sense.
771
00:40:20,118 --> 00:40:24,220
He actually has solid proof
that white sands military base
772
00:40:24,256 --> 00:40:28,825
had scheduled that lunar test
that same day.
773
00:40:28,860 --> 00:40:32,662
But it still
doesn't explain away
all ufo sightings.
774
00:40:34,433 --> 00:40:37,233
[josh] based on this
new revelation,
the lonnie zamora incident
775
00:40:37,269 --> 00:40:42,105
is most likely explained
by top-secret testing
of a lunar surveyor.
776
00:40:42,140 --> 00:40:45,375
But, as jess points out,
this does not discount
777
00:40:45,410 --> 00:40:47,744
every strange sighting
over socorro.
778
00:40:47,779 --> 00:40:51,781
And, there may be more
to this story,
than meets the eye.
779
00:40:51,817 --> 00:40:53,983
After further analysis
and enhancement of
780
00:40:54,019 --> 00:40:56,719
the mysterious object
captured above the mesa...
781
00:40:57,155 --> 00:40:58,521
What is this?
782
00:40:58,557 --> 00:41:00,590
[jessica] oh, look at it spin.
783
00:41:00,625 --> 00:41:05,495
...And after isolating
the strange sounds collected
on the parabolic microphone,
784
00:41:05,530 --> 00:41:09,766
both pieces of evidence
remain unidentified.
785
00:41:09,801 --> 00:41:14,037
There's little doubt
that life exists beyond earth
somewhere in the universe,
786
00:41:14,072 --> 00:41:16,606
as for those who insist
they witnessed aliens
787
00:41:16,641 --> 00:41:18,842
flying over the skies
of socorro,
788
00:41:18,877 --> 00:41:20,677
that remains to be proven.
789
00:41:21,413 --> 00:41:23,613
So, keep looking skyward,
790
00:41:23,615 --> 00:41:26,149
because the truth really is,
out there.
791
00:41:29,120 --> 00:41:31,287
For more information
on expedition x,
792
00:41:31,323 --> 00:41:34,424
head to
discovery.Com/expeditionx