The Lonnie Zamora UFO case, also known as the Socorro Incident, occurred on April 24, 1964, in Socorro, New Mexico, United States. It involves the sighting and close encounter of an unidentified object by police officer Lonnie Zamora, who observed a craft and its occupants at a close range.

Lonnie Zamora was on patrol when he heard a loud roaring sound and saw a flame in the sky. He followed the source of the noise and came across a shiny, egg-shaped craft on the ground. As he approached, he observed two small beings dressed in white coveralls near the craft.

Feeling alarmed, Zamora radioed for backup and continued to observe the scene. However, the craft suddenly emitted a loud, roaring sound and took off into the sky, disappearing from sight. The entire encounter lasted approximately 15 minutes.

Soon after, other law enforcement officers arrived at the scene and corroborated Zamora’s account. Physical evidence, such as burn marks and imprints on the ground, was found at the landing site. The sighting gained immediate attention from local authorities, the military, and UFO investigators.

The case was investigated by various agencies, including the United States Air Force and civilian UFO researchers. Although the Air Force initially classified the case as an “unknown,” they later attributed the sighting to a conventional source, suggesting it was a misidentified test flight of an experimental military vehicle.

However, many UFO researchers and investigators have challenged the official explanation, citing the credibility of Zamora as a reliable witness, the multiple corroborating witnesses, and the physical evidence found at the scene. The Socorro Incident remains a subject of ongoing debate in ufology.

The case gained widespread recognition and contributed to the development of the “Close Encounter” classification system, popularized by ufologist J. Allen Hynek. The Socorro Incident continues to be one of the most intriguing and debated UFO cases due to its multiple witnesses, physical evidence, and the reliability of the primary witness, Lonnie Zamora.