Documents / FOIA release

The National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (Nicap)

Central Intelligence Agency · 2001-03-12 · 186 pages · text by OCR

This is a copy of "The UFO Evidence," a report published in May 1964 by the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP) in Washington, D.C. and edited by Richard H. Hall. The CIA released its copy in 2001. The report draws 746 sightings from more than 5,000 signed reports and argues that unexplained UFOs are real, artificial objects under intelligent control. It criticizes Air Force secrecy and calls for a Congressional inquiry into Project Blue Book and a larger scientific investigation.

  • p. 7 …the daily press no longer carries such reports, except perhaps as fillers, because monotonously repeated items…
  • p. 11 …This form includes questions asked by the United States Air Force and by other Armed Forces…
  • p. 26 …dozens of Air Force bases in the United States and in foreign locations. Since 1953, however…
  • p. 30 …Force. (Originally reported in Cleveland Press, picked up by United Press International, July 30, 1952). During…
  • p. 34 …United Press; August 1, 1952. 26. From USAF Intelligence Report. (See also Ruppelt, Edward J., op…
  • p. 38 …United Press; January 4, 1954 10. Report on file at NICAP 11. Report on file at…
  • p. 44 …The four Conner Airlines pilots were interviewed by United Press when they landed in Denver, Colorado…
  • p. 46 …United Press reported the incident (newswire copy on file at NICAP): FLYING SAUCER OR A WEATHER…
  • p. 51 …Clark Croft, chief of the CAA Tower staff, stated to the Associated Press July 22 that…
  • p. 53 …United Press; May 23, 1951. 15. Report on file at NICAP. 16. United Press; July 18…
  • p. 77 …United Press International, July 26, 1958 Professional and Business Men 32-39. Reports on file at…
  • p. 93 …A United Press Newspictures photo reportedly taken by Enrique H. Muller is reproduced in "The Coming…
  • p. 94 …The pictures showed a round object, according to press reports, but have not been released to…
  • p. 95 …The picture was printed widely as a United Press telephoto, showing an irregular elongated mass with…
  • p. 107 …La Prensa, 2-1-58; United Press. E-85. Lorenzen, Coral; op. cit., ppg. 143-144…
  • p. 108 …Associated Press, Paris; February 19, 1956. 51. United Press; July 19, 1956. 52. Altus (Okla.) Times…
  • p. 111 …per cent of the sightings. Quoted by United Press; Amarillo, Texas. May 5, 1955: Project Blue…
  • p. 112 …The press release approach is considered censorship by some UFO organizations, because they do not receive…
  • p. 120 …Yates, United Airlines, saw the UFOs turn and head northwest in the vicinity of Akron, three…
  • p. 122 …Activity, Public Interest, and Official Attitudes United States press coverage has sometimes given the impression that…
  • p. 123 …CIA-RDP81R00560R000100010001-0 (Alaska, of course, is now one of the United States, and is covered…
  • p. 124 …Saul Martins later told the press the UFO maneuvered all around the DC-3, pacing it…
  • p. 127 …United Press reported from Belgrade, October 27: "Authorities announced today they were making a 'serious investigation…
  • p. 129 …1959 was reported widely by Associated Press, United Press International and Hawaiian newspapers. NICAP interviewed several…
  • p. 130 …United Press International; April 13, 1959 6. Letter on file at NICAP 7. Letter on file…
  • p. 131 …United Press International; November 7, 1958 52. Associated Press; October 28, 1954 53. Natal Mercury (Durban…
  • p. 134 …here and as far away as Wyoming. (United Press) ## 1952 1952--London, Ont., Canada. Astronomer observed…
  • p. 136 …said today Russia may be scouting the United States and other parts of the world with…
  • p. 159 …publicity) CONCENTRATIONS YEAR PERIOD MAIN LOCATIONS X 1947 June-July Western United States X 1950 First…
  • p. 164 …Air Force called press conference on UFO sightings, attended by more than 40 reporters. Suggested UFOs…
  • p. 165 …Reliable witnesses soberly described plainly observed UFOs, and the press gave their stories very full coverage…
  • p. 173 …United Press; Washington, July 28, 1952 16. United Press; July 29, 1952 17. From Air Force…
  • p. 175 …When pressed on specific details the experts refuse to answer on grounds that they are involved…
Approved For Release 2001/04/02 : CIA-RDP81R00560R000100010001-0

Date	Location	Witness	Description
November 5,1955	Cleveland,Ohio	Minister	“Like two saucers,the uppermost inverted and resting on the edges of the lower one”[Section VII.]
August 20,1956	Citrus Heights,California	Family	“Like two soup bowls,one inverted on top of the other”
August 20,1957	Nr Trujillo,Venezuela	Lawyers	“Like two soup plates clamped together by their rims”
November 6,1957	Nr Montville,Ohio	Plasterer	“Like a saucer with another inverted one resting on top...”[Section XII]
January 16,1958	Trindade Isle,Brazil	Ship's crew	“A flattened sphere encircled at the equator by a large ring...”[Section VIII]
March 20,1958	Henrietta,Mo.	---	“One saucer inverted over another”
July 1,1960	Nr Leefe,Wyoming	---	“Shape of two dinner plates face to face”
October 2,1961	Salt Lake City,Utah	Businessman/pilot	“Shaped like a pair of saucers,one turned upside down on top of the other”[Section I]

## Color

UFOs observed in daylight rarely have shown any particular color. Common descriptions have been "silver" or "white". Occasionally some "glow" or "shine" has been observed in daylight or twilight, appearing to be self-illumination rather than reflection. At night, UFOs have most often appeared as bright light sources, occasionally as silhouetted objects (sometimes with body lights). The color of the light sources or body lights have ranged across the spectrum, and sometimes UFOs have shown more than one color or changed color during the observation. (See part C of this section for color change study.)

	NICAP(575 Cases)	Air Force*(2199 Cases)
Silver or Metallic	88	15.3%	389	17.7%
White	81	14.1%	517	23.5%
Reflective(shiny or bright)	34	5.9%	---	-----

Continued
Gray	19	3.3%	5	.2%
Silhouette (dark or black)	31	5.4%	57	2.6%
Night or Twilight
Red	62	10.8%	179	8.1%
Orange	25	4.3%	221	10.1%
Yellow	28	4.9%	159	7.2%
Green	21	3.7%	144	6.5%
Blue	26	4.5%	93	4.2%
Purple	0	0.0%	5	.2%
[*Project Blue Book Special Report No.14, page143,tableA65]

## "Portholes"

an often observed feature of UFOs seen at relatively close range is markings, apertures, or lights on the body of the object. The appearance is that of "portholes" or "windows", as many of the witnesses have stated. In the sample of 50 "porthole" cases

charted here, the markings are of three general types:

(a) Circular; (b) Rectangular (or square); (c) Row of lights; [(d) Not specified.]

Date & Location	Time	UFO&Maneuvers	Number&Pattern
April or May 1932 Durham,N.H.	---	Silvery,saucer-shaped;passed slowly overhead.	(c) on underside of edge
July 23,1948 Montgomery,Ala.	2:45 a.m.	Cigar-shaped,fiery exhaust;sped past airliner,rose.	(b) two rows [Section V.]
August 20,1949 Las Cruces,N.M.	10:45 p.m.	6-8 rectangles arranged in elliptical pattern,apparent connecting glow.	(b) Section VI
March 31,1950 Little Rock,Ark.	9:29 p.m.	Circular with flashing light on top;arced above airliner.	(a) 8-10 in circular pattern on underside [Section V]
August 31,1951 Metodor,Texas.	12:30 p.m.	Pear-shaped;spiraling climb.	(d) "porthole" on side.

Cases discussed

About this file

FOIA release, from the cia-readingroom collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is under it. The text was read from the page images by an OCR model; expect the odd misread word. 186 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.