Documents / FOIA release

The National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (Nicap)

Central Intelligence Agency · 2001-03-12 · 186 pages · text by GLM-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. 8 …the amount and kind of UFO information in the files, and whether all significant non-security…
  • p. 17 …suggesting a unique and unexplained phenomenon Section XII, (b) that the observed objects and patterns have…
  • p. 26 …unexplained aerial objects are seen with regularity by observers who spend more time than the average…
  • p. 66 …From the hundreds of cases on file, the following have been selected to provide a survey…
  • p. 90 …The CAA radar report, obtained later, virtually proved that unexplained objects were operating over Los Angeles…
  • p. 110 …about unexplained cases are to be referred to the Office of Information Services in the Pentagon…
  • p. 112 …the generalized "fact sheets." The unexplained cases for each year are briefly described. (In the new…
  • p. 121 …1) the Air Force is conducting a thorough scientific investigation, and (2) nothing truly unexplainable is…
  • p. 161 …Taped statement on file at NICAP). The dramatic visual sightings of unexplained lights in the same…
  • p. 165 …The following chronology lists the 118 cases which appear to be authentic and presently unexplainable, plus…
  • p. 176 …were unexplainable. I assume you have written a letter to the Members of the House and…
  • p. 181 …The developed film showed a bright unexplained object, in the wrong position for the satellite. This…
  • p. 182 …Interpretation of the accumulating unexplained reports could then be accomplished (without any "aura of mystery") through…

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# SECTION III

Air Force Observations

Before the issuance of Air Force Regulation 200-2 in 1953 (see extracts), a large number of significant UFO sightings by active Air Force personnel were made public. During the early 1950's, dozens of Intelligence Reports describing amazing UFO performances were released to the present NICAP Director. [1.] An article in LIFE, April 7, 1952, suggesting UFOs were interplanetary, represented the opinion of "several very high-ranking officers in the Pentagon," according to the former Air Force UFO project chief. [2.] After an early phase of official confusion and secrecy following the first publicized U.S. sightings in 1947, the Air Force was openly treating UFOs as a serious and important problem.

As indicated in the following chart, UFOs have been sighted regularly at dozens of Air Force bases in the United States and in foreign locations. Since 1953, however, Air Force UFO reports have steadily diminished. The effect of AFR 200-2 (and other Air Force policies; see Section IX) has been to dry up this source of current information about UFOs. With Air Force fliers active all over the globe, it is easy to imagine the amount of information which has been lost to the public.

In spite of the repressive effects of AFR200-2 in recent years, a considerable number of good UFO sightings by Air Force witnesses has accumulated. These reports are a matter of public record. Others from unofficial and private sources have been obtained by NICAP.

Within the Air Force there is a strong difference of opinion about the official policies toward UFOs. Many officers and airmen do not agree with them, and favor more public disclosure of UFO information. A number have supplied NICAP with information when this could be done without violating security.

After NICAP was formed in 1956, Air Force officers (active and retired) began to visit the office. Some had personal experiences to relate, others had general information about the UFO project. The visitors have included several former Project Blue Book (the UFO project) personnel and intelligence officers; a Master Navigator who had sighted several UFOs while on active duty; and a fighter pilot still on active duty. All expressed general agreement with NICAP's goals, and offered encouragement and support.

9. Exceptions. In response to local inquiries resulting from any UFO reported in the vicinity of an Air Force base, information regarding a sighting may be released to the press or the general public by the commander of the Air Force base concerned only if it has been positively identified as a familiar or known object.

11. Contacts. Private individuals or organizations requesting Air Force interviews, briefings, lectures, or private discussions on UFO's will be referred to the Office of Information Services, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force. Air Force personnel, other than those of the Office of Information Services, will not contact private individuals on UFO cases nor will they discuss their operations and functions with unauthorized persons unless so directed, and then only on a "need-to-know" basis.

Air Force Regulation 200-2 Intelligence. Unidentified Flying Objects Reporting

## DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE WASHINGTON,26 AUGUST 1953

The reports from Air Force sources, many taken directly from Intelligence Reports, constitute good evidence that unexplained aerial objects are seen with regularity by observers who spend more time than the average person scanning the sky. (This is also true of airline crews; see Section V).

## AIR FORCE UFO SIGHTINGS

UFO Sightings by U. S. Air Force Personnel

(All Reports on File at NICAP. Cases shaded in gray are detailed following chart).

Date & Location	Witnesses	Description
8-29-42Columbus,Miss.	Michael Solomon,Control tower operator	Two round reddish objects descended near Army(Air Corps)Flying School,hovered,accelerated and sped away
3-44Carlsbad,N.M.	B-17 pilot(conf. report certified by Bluegrass NICAP Affiliate)	High-speed glowing green object lit cockpit,moved out of sight over horizon.
8-10Sumatra	Capt. Alvah Reida,B-29 pilot	Pulsating spherical object paced bomber,maneuvered.
11-44France	Lt. Ed Schlueter,pilot,415th Night Fighter Squadron	Eight to ten orange ball-like objects in-line formation,sometimes moving at high speed. [3.]
12-44Austria	Maj. William D. Leet,B-17 pilot	Bomber paced by amber-colored disc.
1-45Germany	415th Night Fighter Squadron pilot	Plane followed by three red and white lighted objects;UFOs followed plane's evasive maneuvers. [4.]
Abt.1-2-45France	Lt. Donald Meiers,pilot	Two UFO sightings reported;one object paced plane at 360 mph.,"then zoomed up into the sky." [5.]
8-1-46Florida	Capt. Jack Puckett,pilot	Cigar-shaped UFO maneuvered near AF transport plane

Cases discussed

About this file

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