Documents / FOIA release
This Central Intelligence Agency briefing from 22 August 1952 presents the Office of Scientific Intelligence review of the Air Force flying saucer investigation, with attachments dated 14 and 19 August. It traces sightings from 1947 and explains most as balloons, aircraft, astronomical bodies or atmospheric effects. About 20% remain unexplained. The briefing rules out US or Soviet weapons and space ships. Its main concerns are psychological warfare, false alerts to air defense, and civilian saucer groups.
Read from the scan by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word.
The Air Force Stand on "Flying Jaccers" CIA, in a briefing on 22 august 1952 I. The Air Force has primary responsibility for investigating flying success The unit concerned with these investigations is a part of the air technical Intelligence Center at ayton, chio, and consists of three officers (a Captain in charge) and two civilians. They receive reports of sightings, analyze and attempt to explain them. A standard reporting form has been prepared which is used on a worldwide basis. The Air Force Office of Special Investigations cho into each sighting attempting to determine its authenticity and the reliability of the observer. II. (A) The air force officially denies that "flying saucers" are: (1) U.S.secret weapons (2) Soviet secret weapons (3) Extra-terrestrial visitors (B) It is believed that all sightings of "flying saucers" are. (1) Well known objects such as balloons (over 4000 are released daily in the U.S.), aircraft, meteors, clouds, etc. not recognized as such by the observer. III. Not a shred of evidence exists to substantiate the belief that "flying saucers" are material objects not falling into category IIN(1) above. (2) Phenomena of the atmosphere which are at present poorly understood, e.g., reflections and reflections caused by temperature inversions, ionization phenomena, ball lightning, etc. IV. A study of "flying saucer" sightings on a geographical basis showed then to be more frequent in the vicinity of atomic energy installations (which is explained by the greater security consciousness of persons in those areas). The by-products of atomic fission may in some way act catalytically to produce "flying saucers" has not been disproved. The greatest number of sightings has been made at or near Dayton, Ohio where the investigations are going on. V. Of the thousands of "flying saucers" sighted of which there are records, the Air Force says that 78% have been explained by either IIB(1) or IIB(2) above, 2% have been exposed as houses and the remaining 20% have not been explained primarily because of the vague descriptions given by observers. VI. The Air Force is mostly interested in the "saucer" problem because of its psychological warfare implications. In reviewing publications designed for Soviet construction, there has not been a single reference to "flying saucers". On the other hand, several "saucer" societies in the United States have been investigating key members of some of these societies which have been instrumental in keeping the "flying saucer" crime before the public have been exposed as being of doubtful loyalty. Furthermore the societies, in some cases, are financed by an unknown source. The Air Force realizes that a public into jungle by the "flying saucer" scare would be a serious liability in the event of air attacks by an enemy.
FOIA release, from the cia-readingroom collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. The text was read from the page images by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word. 29 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.