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. 2 …Former Air Force Headquarters Monitor of AF Project Blue Book UFO investigation, prepared analyses of UFO…
  • p. 4 …We are also indebted to Isabel Davis, New York City, whose extensive files on UFOs were…
  • p. 8 …the amount and kind of UFO information in the files, and whether all significant non-security…
  • p. 11 …Harris pointed out that the UFO at one time "passed below the horizon in front of…
  • p. 16 …New York UFO group of which DuBarry is president. 9. Report on file at NICAP. 10…
  • p. 17 …b) UFOs which evaded or otherwise reacted to human devices. (All reports on file at NICAP…
  • p. 22 …CIA-RDP81R00560R000100010001-0 ## GEOMETRICAL FORMATION CASES (All reports on file at NICAP) Date Location Witnesses Number…
  • p. 24 …Finally the UFOs were seen on the radarscope to merge with a gigantic blip (radar target…
  • p. 25 …of the Utah Film Tracking UFOs," p. 2. (Copy on file at NICAP.) 9. Flying, July…
  • p. 26 …FORCE UFO SIGHTINGS UFO Sightings by U. S. Air Force Personnel (All Reports on File at…
  • p. 30 # Approved For Release 2001/04/02 Bomber Paced by UFO (Capt. Alvah M. Reida, during his…
  • p. 34 …I collected a few names of individuals present, as I intended to report the UFO to…
  • p. 37 …Florida Two enlisted men (names on file) Star-like UFO slowed, joined by second at high…
  • p. 38 …Report on file at NICAP 3. Report on file at NICAP 4. Keyhoe, Donald E., Flying…
  • p. 46 …United Press reported the incident (newswire copy on file at NICAP): FLYING SAUCER OR A WEATHER…
  • p. 47 …An Air National Guard pilot, flying an F-51 Mustang fighter, was trailed by a UFO…
  • p. 50 …witnessed the UFO was a full colonel of Air Force Intelligence, who filed a report along…
  • p. 53 …Report on file at NICAP. 14. United Press; May 23, 1951. 15. Report on file at…
  • p. 55 …this an open question). ## UFO Sightings by Scientists (All Reports on File at NICAP) Date & Location…
  • p. 61 …Maney, was among seven witnesses to a UFO sighted in Defiance, Ohio, May 20, 1962. Prof…
  • p. 65 …As they watched, the UFO, appearing as a fiery-looking, glowing sphere, passed from horizon to…
  • p. 66 …The disc-shaped, elliptical and other main types of UFOs observed by pilots and scientists have…
  • p. 69 …CIA-RDP81R00560R000100010001-0 (Names and addresses of other witnesses on file at NICAP.) A somewhat similar…
  • p. 71 …Elton Highland, observed a spherical UFO about 9:45 a.m. The UFO, resembling a silver…
  • p. 77 …Teletype report and letter on file at NICAP 2. Reports obtained by Cleveland and Akron UFO…
  • p. 90 …At other times, the station tracked UFOs making similar maneuvers. Sgt. Kelly had also tracked UFOs…
  • p. 93 …Baker, Jr., Douglas Aircraft Corporation, on file at NICAP. Air Force explanation that UFOs were reflections…
  • p. 100 …Roepke also filed a detailed report with NICAP on behalf of the Subcommittee. In consultation with…
  • p. 110 …Paragraph 11 restricts Air Force personnel from publicly discussing UFOs: "Air Force personnel, other than those…
  • p. 112 …Air Force Inspector General brief to Operations and Training Commands: "UFOs Serious Business." Stated that UFO…
  • p. 118 …file at this facility and is all the information contained in this record concerning UFO sighted…
  • p. 119 …The RCAF has no record of such an incident, although a flight plan allegedly was filed…
  • p. 120 …Peter Killian, American Airlines pilot, was one of several pilots who reported observing three UFOs above…
  • p. 121 …Ryan and all other documentation, on file at NICAP. COPY American Airlines, Inc. Flight 139 - February…
  • p. 126 …Dozens of very active UFO organizations exist in England, many publishing bulletins. The largest and most…
  • p. 130 …Copy of statement on file at NICAP 3. Report on file at NICAP 4. Windsor Daily…
  • p. 131 …Letter on file at NICAP 49. Report on file at NICAP 50. Report on file at…
  • p. 135 …Samford, UFOs explained away as weather phenomena. (Transcript on file at NICAP.) July 29, 1952--Miami…
  • p. 141 …round UFO hover and maneuver slowly. Los Angeles NICAP Subcommittee investigation report on file. February 14…
  • p. 143 …September 28 -- Police from seven counties reported seeing UFOs between 2:30 and 3:30 a…
  • p. 144 …A brilliant shaft of light from the UFO illuminated a hilltop. Suddenly the UFO blacked out…
  • p. 159 …library files, by a NICAP member traveling around the country, uncovered 125 separate UFO reports for…
  • p. 161 …then Air Force spokesman on UFOs. Taped statement on file at NICAP). The dramatic visual sightings…
  • p. 162 …USAF Capt., others saw two silvery cigar-shaped UFOs headed SW across city. 1 9:30…
  • p. 165 …letter on file at NICAP) Anything reported to the Air Force as a UFO is included…
  • p. 174 …The new Space Committee Chairman opposed UFO hearings. Then, in answer to letters about UFOs, the…
  • p. 176 …Tenn.) - March 30, 1961 "Uncertainty over UFOs certainly exists and I think it is wise to…
  • p. 181 …UFO? On April 14, 1959 the Nunn-Baker camera site The atmosphere of ridicule surrounding the…
  • p. 182 …On the contrary, we have been criticized by other UFO groups for our often voiced skepticism…
Aircraft designs show similarities and differences comparable to the variety of UFO types. Left (from bottom to top): DC-4, DC-6, and DC-7. Right: Top, A-11. Second row, F4F "Phantom"; F-106 "Delta Dart"; F-105 "Thunderchief." Third row, F-104 "Starfighter"; F-101 "Voodoo." Fourth row, British T-188 (high speed research); X-3 "Stileto." Fifth row, British VTOL; X-13; French "Coleopter" VTOL; XF-85 "Goblin." Sixth row, F-94 "Starfire"; F-84F "Thunderstreak"; P-59.

Comparing the UFO shape to type of "porthole", to determine whether a particular type of UFO tended to have a particular type of "porthole", the findings were largely negative. The UFOs reported as cigar-shaped (11 cases) did not have rectangular "portholes" - with one exception (November 22, 1961).

Circular or disc-shaped objects (19 cases) were reported as having circular "ports" in 4 cases, rectangular in 6 cases, rows of lights in 7 cases.

Elliptical or oval UFOs (10 cases) were reported as having rectangular "ports" in 5 cases, circular in 3 cases, rows of lights in 1 case.

The most striking consistency or pattern to "porthole" reports is the description of their arrangement on the body of the UFO. In no case were the lights or markings arranged haphazardly. On the contrary, in every case the "portholes" were arranged either in straight lines, or circular patterns (most often around the curved surface).

The "row of lights" cases, alone, consist of two basic types: (1) Lights on or adjacent to the edge of a disc. (In two cases, witnesses reported the lights were just below the disc edge, on the underside of the UFO.) (2) Lights along the length of cigar-shaped UFOs.

In many cases the "portholes" were arranged exactly along the major axis of UFOs which presented elliptical outlines to the observer.

The position and geometrical arrangement of the "portholes," and the light usually associated with these markings, strongly suggest that they are indeed ports or vents. They could well be actual windows, particularly those of distinctly square or round construction. The "row of lights" cases are subject to several different interpretations: (1) Lighted windows seen at greater distance; (2) Running lights, such as those on normal aircraft; Exhaust or propulsion vents.

## B. MANEUVERS

A study of hundreds of UFO reports has revealed several recurring maneuver patterns. These include:

* Hovering (or very slow motion) and sudden rapid acceleration.

* Circling and pacing of human vehicles. [Section II.]

$\star$ UFOs rendezvousing, then operating together [e.g., Aeronautical Engineer report, July 16, 1952, Section VI; Airline Pilot report, July 14, 1952, Section V]

* Satellite objects, associated with and maneuvering around larger central parent objects. [Section II.]

Numerous examples of these features appear in previous sections, especially Section II which discusses the evidence that UFOs are intelligently guided. A number of rendezvous cases is included in the formation chart, Section II, and other examples may be found throughout the report.

The remaining feature, hovering followed by rapid acceleration, occurs so regularly that it can practically be considered a defining characteristic of a "UFO." No man-made objects or known natural objects can perform in the manner described. The objects which were observed performing this maneuver were predominantly the typical discs and ellipses so often reported.

The following table lists one hundred sample cases between 1947 and 1962, illustrating this feature.

Hovering and Acceleration Cases
Date	Location	Description
7-9-47	Nr Boise, Idaho	Disc maneuvering slowly, turned on edge, "shot straight up." [Section VII.]

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.