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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…
Approved For Release 2001/04/02 : CIA-RDP81R00560R000100010001-0 Sample Cases:

Date	Location	Description
10-2-61	Salt Lake City, Utah	Disc-shaped UFO seen by pilot, hovered with slight rocking motion. [Section I.]
7-9-62	West New York, N.J.	Disc with rotating central ring hovered with swaying motion.

## b. Pendulum/Falling Leaf Motion

A curious, but fairly common, flight characteristic of UFOs is a pendulum-like motion (swaying back and forth) during hovering, slow climb, or descent. Witnesses frequently have compared this to the gyrations of a falling leaf.

## Sample Cases:

October 11, 1951. J.J. Kaliszewski (then Supervisor of balloon manufacture for General Mills, Inc.) and Dick Reilly were flying near Minneapolis, Minnesota, observing a balloon at 6:30 a.m. They noticed a bright glowing object overhead moving at high speed from east to west. The UFO had a dark undersurface, and a halo of light. Finally it slowed, and started climbing "in lazy circles." Kaliszewski: "The pattern it made was like a falling oak leaf inverted." [Section VI.]

February 9, 1957. At 1:00 a.m. in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Roger Standeven observed a white oval-shaped UFO with a red light visible on top. The object would stop, "fall like a leaf," speed up again, and repeat the sequence, gaining altitude each time it sped up.

[For other examples; See Section XI, Chronology: 9-20-52, 9-26-54, 11-25-56, 2-28-61.]

POHANG, KOREA; Fall 1954
U.S. Marine Corps Weather Observer John A. Potter observed a formation of seven bright orange UFOs moving north to south about 11:00 p.m. The objects,

U.S. Marine Corps Weather Observer John A. Potter observed a formation of seven bright orange UFOs moving north to south about 11:00 p.m. The objects, travelling at "a very rapid pace," individually fluttered from side to side as pictured.

## (c) Side-to-Side Oscillation

A very similar pendulum-like motion, occurring as a UFO travels in a horizontal plane (rather than ascending or descending) has been noticed occasionally. It consists of a side-to-side oscillation as the UFO proceeds in a constant direction.

(c) Side-to-Side Oscillation

Date	Location	Description
3-29-50	Ironwood, Mich.	Round UFO moving with "slipping and sliding sideways" motion. [Section V.]
10-9-50	Nr Williamstown, Vermont	Two cylindrical UFOs swinging back and forth like "flying pendulums."
3-10-52	Oakland, Calif.	Two dark hemispherical UFOs, one following straight-line course, second swaying back and forth "like a pendulum" across the path of the first. [Section VI.]
10-54	Pohang, Korea	Formation of 7 discs; individually "fluttered," swaying from side to side.
9-22-56	Williston Plains, No. Dak.	UFO (appearing alternately circular and delta-shaped) moved slowly past, oscillating from side to side.
10-30-61	Derry, Penna.	Four luminous blue discs "oscillated" from side to side, on constant course. [Section I.]
6-19-62	London, England	Disc "oscillated" from side to side, "hemitating sometimes and practically stopping in midair," on constant course.

Sample Cases:

b. Pendulum/Falling Leaf Motion

Date	Location	Description
6-24-47	Mt. Ranier, Wash.	Nine flat shiny UFOs moved with skipping motion.
7-7-47	Nr Medford, Ore.	Disc on edge moved S to N along eastern horizon, bouncing up and down as if following contour of hills. [Section XII; July 1947 Chronology.]
1-7-48	Columbus, Ohio	Round or oval UFO in level flight estimated at over 500 mph, making "elevator-like" motions.
5-29-51	Downey, Calif.	Large formation of glowing UFOs, maneuvered, moved with undulatory "skipping" motion.
8-3-51	Nr Pinckney, Mich.	Yellow light "moving in an undulating path." [Section VI.]

## (3) Violent & Erratic Maneuvers

In a sample of 40 cases in which erratic maneuvers were reported, there is a noticeable repetition of certain motions which appear to be characteristic of many UFOs. All of the cases involve UFOs which abruptly altered direction and/or speed, usually more than once during the observation. Of the total, 63 percent occurred during night hours.

## Reported Shapes:

43 percent round or elliptical UFOs, 50 percent light souces only (no shape discernible).

## Witnesses:

28 percent scientific or experienced; 33 percent good; 39 per cent average.

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.