The National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (Nicap)

# Approved For Release 2001/04/02 : CIA-RDP81R00560R000100010001-0

(Alaska, of course, is now one of the United States, and is covered in this Section because of its geographical location).

Mexico: In 1949-1950, during the sighting wave which occurred in that period, there were many press reports of UFOs sighted over Mexico. Example: Los Angeles News, March 14 & 15, 1950, Mexico City (UP)--Hundreds of persons said they saw four flying saucers over Mexico City, and one at Monterrey. Witnesses included trained aircraft observers and meteorologists. [See Section V]

Many additional sightings in past 12 years.

In 1958, Mr. Rafael Aveleyra, Minister of the Embassy of Mexico, Washington, in a letter to NICAP stated: "Please be advised that in accordance with the information just received from my Government, no reports have been received of unidentified flying objects within the area of Mexico, therefore no official investigation has been made." [10]

## CENTRAL AMERICA

UFOs have been sighted regularly over the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, and Central America [See December 6, 1952 Gulf of Mexico case; Coast Guard Cutter Sebago case, November 5, 1957, Section VIII; etc.] On January 23, 1959, the New York Times reported that a bright silver unidentified object, which had arced across the sky above the Panama Canal, had been tracked by U.S. radar.

A NICAP member in El Salvador, who visited the NICAP office in 1961, informed us that UFO sightings were very common in her country, and that they were a regular topic of conversation, in schools and elsewhere.

## SOUTH AMERICA

The same is true of most South American countries, at least five of which have active UFO organizations. Two, Argentina and Brazil, have treated the subject more frankly and openly than any other nations.

Argentina: A letter to NICAP from the Argentine Embassy dated October 10, 1958, requested information about the structure, scope and aims of NICAP, because "the creation of an agency similar to NICAP, with the same objectives, is under consideration by Argentine Air Force officials." [11]

Strong Argentine interest in UFOs is not surprising considering the well-documented cases which have occurred there. At Cordoba Airport, November 25, 1954, two luminous objects which hovered for nearly an hour were reported by Dr. Marcos Guerci, chief of the meteorological service; Carlos Bassoli, control tower operator; and many others. One UFO was roughly semi-circular, appearing like a disc on edge, the other circular. Dr. Guerci stated he believed he had observed "something foreign to our knowledge," according to the official report released by the Argentine Embassy. [12]

The most recent series of sightings in Argentina (as this is being written) began in May 1962, continuing throughout the year. The incidents included reported landings with resultant markings and stains on the ground, highly maneuverable luminous phenomena, electro-magnetic effects, and other typical UFO features. [See Section XII; Argentine Chronology]

On May 22, 1962, UFOs were sighted four times in a period of about 35 minutes by a flight of Navy pilots in the vicinity of Espora Naval Air Base. In one instance, about 7:20 p.m., student pilot Roberto Wilkinson reported that a luminous object trailing his plane lit up his cockpit, and his radio-electric transmission failed as the UFO passed below his aircraft. [13]

Sightings continued throughout the summer, many concentrated around aircraft and airports. Over Floresta District, September 8, 1962, Lt. (j.g.) Juan Jose Vico sighted a "burnished metal" lenticular UFO making smooth and apparently controlled maneuvers, according to the report.

Investigations of the 1962 sightings by military authorities brought forth two statements. Capt. Luis Sanchez Moreno, investigating for the Navy, told the press the Navy had been constantly concerned about UFOs since the great wave of global sightings in 1952. Following the sightings by Navy personnel in May 1962, the investigation report released by the Argentine Embassy concluded: "The testimonies of Naval Air Officer pilots and personnel of the Flying Course indicate the existence of abnormal luminous phenomenon."

In addition to receiving good cooperation from the Embassy, NICAP is indebted to Mr. Thomas Williams, Fundacion Williams, Buenos Aires; Mr. Christian Vogt, Secretary of the "Comision Observadora de Objetos Voladores No Identificados (CODOVNI)" and Ing. William Kalocai, Director of the "Centro Investigador de Fenomenos Espaciales (C.I.F.E.)," Bahia Blanca, [14] for details of many Argentine UFO cases. At Ezeiza International Airport, Buenos Aires, December 22, 1962, a UFO was sighted about 3:00 a.m. Tower operators Horacio Alora and Mario Pezzutto were watching an Aerolineas Argentinas plane which was about to take off, and an approaching DC-8 jet operated by Panagra (a division of Pan American Airways).

One of the operators was radioing landing instructions when the jet Captain suddenly broke in:

"What's that thing at the end of the runway?"

An instant later, the same question came from one of the Argentine airliner pilots. Operator Alora turned and saw a large round object, glowing with an intense fiery light, at the head of runway 1-0-2-8. It had evidently descended while he and Pezzutto were watching the two airliners.

Because of the UFOs' brilliant glow, Alora could not tell whether it had actually touched down or was hovering just above the runway. At the moment he turned, the UFO rose about ten meters, hovering briefly. Then, rapidly accelerating, it took off on a northeast course. Before it disappeared, it was also seen by Operator Pezzutto.

During the 1962 sightings around Buenos Aires, as well as in remote areas of the country, key cases were reported freely on television. Argentina's treatment of the UFO question provides an interesting contrast with the secretive policy of the U.S. Government.

Brazil: UFO activity has been virtually constant in Brazil during the past 10-15 years. The number and quality of sightings has been at least equal to that of the U.S., and since 1952 sightings have been reported much more openly than in this country.

In 1958, the majority of experienced UFO investigators, many of whom had published bulletins or headed small UFO groups, formed the "Comissao Brasileira de Pesquisa Confidencial Sobre Objetos Aereos Nao Identificados (CBPCOANI)," a top level commission to promote scientific investigation of UFOs on an international basis. Members of the Commission include Dr. J. Escobar Faria (Attorney and author), a NICAP Adviser; Dr. Olavo Fontes, (M.D.), adviser to the Aerial Phenomena Research Organization (APRO), Tucson, Arizona; Prof. Flavio Pereira, President (also President of the Scientific Council, Brazilian Interplanetary Society); Cmdr. A.B. Simoes (airline official and writer). Significantly, the Commission includes representatives of the Brazilian armed services. As in Argentina, UFOs are considered an important problem justifying the formation of civilian-military agencies for continuous investigation.

Virtually every large coastal city, military base, and airport of Brazil has been visited by UFOs, and witnesses have included high-ranking officers, public officials and scientists.

A formation of "circular silver-colored" objects, apparently "mechanical" devices, were observed by FAB (Brazilian Air Force) officers and men, as well as airline personnel and civilians, as they sped over Porto Alegre AFB, October 24, 1954. [15]

(SAUCER)

PORTO ALEGRE, BRAZIL.--THE AIR FORCE BASE HERE REPORTED THAT

"CIRCULAR, SILVER-COLORED" OBJECTS MOVING AT TREMENDOUS SPEEDS HAD

BEEN SIGHTED OVER THE BASE LAST SUNDAY.

A STATEMENT DISTRIBUTED BY THE BASE COMMAND SAID THE PHENOMENON

WAS REPORTED IMMEDIATELY TO THE AIR MINISTRY IN RIO DE JANEIRO WITH A

REQUEST FOR INVESTIGATION.

THE STATEMENT SAID THE BODIES WERE NOT CELESTIAL "BECAUSE THEIR

MOVEMENTS APPEARED MECHANICAL AND INTERMITTENT." NO BALLOONS WERE

ALOFT AT THE TIME, THE BASE ADDED.

"It WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO CALCULATE THE ALTITUDE OR VELOCITY AT WHICH

THE OBJECTS MOVED, BUT THE SPEED WAS GREATER THAN ANY OF WHICH THE BASE

HAS KNOWLEDGE. THEIR GENERAL SHAPE WAS CIRCULAR, SILVER-COLORED AND

SHIMMERING."

THE STATEMENT SAID THE OBJECTS WERE OBSERVED BY OFFICERS AND ENLISTED

MEN OF THE AIR BASE, BY PERSONNEL OF THE VARIG AIRLINE AND BY A NUMBER

OF CIVILIANS IN THE CITY, BETWEEN 1 P.M. AND 6 P.M. SUNDAY.

10/27--PA306P

A startling incident on November 21, 1954, was reported on the front pages of newspapers in South and Central America, and in England, but apparently not in the U.S. A Brazilian airliner in flight near Rio de Janeiro, at night, encountered 19 glowing saucer-shaped objects. The UFOs flew at high speed within about 300 feet of the plane causing a panic among the passengers. CIA-RDP81R00560R000100010001-0

Approved For Release 2001/04/0219 CIA-RDP81R00560R000100010001-0