The National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (Nicap)

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

February 28, 1961--Nr. Lakeville, Mass. A bright yellow elongated UFO with dark red edge, surrounded by black "smoke", was seen after witnesses heard a roaring noise. House lights failed as UFO made two passes over area. [VIII]

March 16, 1961--Antarctica. Meteorologist observed a fireball-like object, multi-colored, below overcast. [VI]

April 9, 1961--Kingsville, Texas. Round red UFO descended, hovered, sped away. [XII]

May 1961--Joint statement by 21 American Scientists released by NICAP. Calls for open investigation of UFOs without secrecy, the need for a more thorough investigation shown by circumstantial evidence. States the Air Force should have more straightforward information policy, specifically to give out all facts on major UFO sightings.

May (first week) 1961--Union Mills, Indiana. Hemispherical UFO with "portholes", on road; took off as car approached. [XII]

May 19, 1961--Long Beach, Calif. Twelve shiny UFOs maneuvered erratically over the area at 3:50 p.m., with an odd fluttering motion; then two loud "skyquakes" were heard. [XII]

May 20, 1961--Tyndall AFB, Florida. Air Police observed unidentified light diving and climbing. [III]

May 25, 1961--Shepperton, Middlesex, England. Domed UFO with "portholes." [XII]

May 29, 1961--Newark, Ohio. Boy filmed unidentified light. [VIII]

June 4, 1961--Blue Ridge Summit, Pa. A cigar-shaped or long elliptical UFO with a cluster of smaller UFOs was observed by a librarian. First motionless, the smaller objects then streaked across the sky to the large UFO and all vanished behind trees. [VIII]

June 19, 1961--Exeter, England. A "flying object" was reported to have hovered for more than an hour above an airport. Officials said: "We do not know what it is. It was seen on the radar screen and we have had it under observation for some time. We think it is pretty big. It appears to be shining brightly and is about 50,000 feet up." [VIII]

July 4, 1961--Akron, Ohio. A glowing green and white object dove at a plane, stopped suddenly and climbed away at tremendous speed. (July 5, same pilot sighted similar object; also seen visually and tracked on radar at Cleveland airport). [V]

July 24, 1961--Ilha Grande, Brazil. An intensely luminous UFO maneuvered sharply around a VASP Airlines plane. [X]

August 4, 1961--Letter to NICAP member from Rep. Thomas W. Downing: "The Bureau manager (of Newsweek) informs me that his information indicates that an investigation of the UFO phenomenon is being contemplated by the Science and Astronautics Committee. The information that I was provided indicates that Congressman Joseph E. Karth of Minnesota may serve as Chairman of the three-man Subcommittee." (See Section XIII)

August 17, 1961--Stillwater, Minn. A V-formation of yellowish lights (or V-shaped UFO with body lights) passed behind trees at low altitude. [II]

September 13, 1961--Crawfordsville, Indiana. 4:00 a.m. Three people reported a round, orange UFO which moved rapidly east to west, stopped and hovered for 5 minutes, then accelerated rapidly disappearing in the distance. [XII]

September 19/20, 1961--Nr. N. Woodstock, N.H. Disc-shaped UFO seen at close range; "beings" reportedly visible through windows. (XIV)

September 21, 1961--Pacific Ocean, nr. Wake Island. Airline pilots, ship, reported a bright white circular UFO. [X]

October 2, 1961--Salt Lake City, Utah. Disc-shaped UFO maneuvered away from investigating aircraft. [I]

October 12, 1961--Indianapolis, Indiana. Spherical UFO with a row of pulsating lights viewed from many angles by different observers. [XII]

October 21, 1961--Nr. Datil, N. Mex. Four lights paced car, maneuvered, shot away upward. [II]

October 30, 1961--Ligonier, Penna. Engineer observed four luminous blue discs with bands of lights or "portholes" on outer periphery. [I]

November 1961--Green Bank, W. Va. Government (National Academy of Sciences) sponsored secret discussions on space life, possibility of communicating with other worlds. (New York Times; February 4, 1962)

## 1962

November 22, 1961--Nr. Grafton, N.D. Metallurgist observed a hovering, grayish cigar-shaped UFO with "portholes". [VI]

January 29, 1962--Eastern Holland. Radar-visual sighting by Dutch AF F-86 pilot. [X]

February 9, 1962--Ashton Clinton, Beds., England. Disc-like UFO with apparent dome, "portholes", hovered low over road. [VIII, XII]

February 11, 1962--Parque del Este, Caracas, Venezuela. Formations of UFOs, about 16 objects in all, were observed by many people. Sr. Carlos Pineda, at nearby Humboldt Planetarium, witnessed one of the UFOs, described as "a body giving off a brilliant light. . . moving at great altitude as if towards the moon." [X]

February 20,1962--Col. John Glenn orbital flight, Project Mercury.

April 24 & 25, 1962--Philadelphia, Penna. Series of UFO sightings over area. April 24: Circular UFO with body lights, apparent dome on top, shafts of white light directed downward from base. Center section had rotating row of square "windows." [XII]

April 30, 1962--X-15 flight, piloted by Joe Walker; Photograph (no visual sighting) of 5 or 6 "disc-shaped or...cylindrical" objects. Slides later shown in Seattle conference. NICAP unable to obtain prints.

May 1962--At least twelve UFOs sighted in Argentina in May. Official reports and newspaper chronology given NICAP by Argentine Embassy include four sightings by Argentine Navy pilots, two reported landing cases. (See Section XII; Argentine Chronology.)

May 18, 1962--Pompano Beach, Florida. Cigar-shaped UFO, brilliantly lighted below, dark on top. Hovered, sped away. [VII]

May 20, 1962--Defiance, Ohio. Scientist, others, watched maneuvering light source, brilliant blue changing to yellow. [VI]

May 21, 1962--England. Irish International Airlines pilot watched spherical UFO pass below aircraft. [X]

May 24, 1962--Astronaut Scott Carpenter, Project Mercury orbital flight.

May 26, 1962--Westfield, Mass. "Round, slightly oval, bright red object, giving off sparks from top and bottom. Center. . yellowish or white. . .case is listed as unidentified." (Air Force Project Blue Book 1962 Summary.)

May 27, 1962--Palmer, Alaska. Two triangular UFOs, diving and climbing. Unidentified. (Air Force Project Blue Book 1962 Summary.)

June 30, 1962--Richmond, Va. Circular red object with some white observed 10 minutes. Went from 20 degree elevation, 169 degrees azimuth to 13-1/2 degree elevation, 132 degrees azimuth. Unidentified. (Air Force Project Blue Book 1962 Summary)

July 10, 1962--New Iberia, Louisiana. Disc-shaped UFO with rotating dome on top swept low over Naval Auxiliary Air Station, slowed over area of runway and hangar, then climbed out of sight at 20 to 30 degrees angle accelerating rapidly. [IV]

July 17, 1962--X-15 flight, Maj. Bob White pilot. Photographs and visual sighting of unidentified object "like a piece of paper," gray-white. Observed to left of aircraft "going along with the ship" for about 5 seconds, then "darted above and behind the plane."

July 30, 1962--Ocean Springs, Miss. "Diamond-shaped object, mostly round, sometimes rectangular. Color bright cherry red varying in intensity as it maneuvered. Performed intricate maneuvers. Moved slowly, sometimes stationary--then darted up and over, etc." Case listed as unidentified. (Air Force Project Blue Book 1962 Summary.)

August 2, 1962--Liberal, Kansas. Series of brightly lighted colored objects seen by airline pilot, airport personnel, and passengers at airport. [V]

September 8, 1962--Floresta, Argentine. "Burnished metal" lens-shaped UFO sighted by Argentine Navy pilot. [X, XII]

## Northeast New Jersey Concentration

September 15-28, 1962--Northeast New Jersey, across the Hudson River from New York City, was the scene of a definite flurry of sightings of UFOs, with the heaviest concentration in the Oradell-Hawthorne area.