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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. 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

other seemed to play at flight - a sort of pendulum motion. I could only estimate their size. I judged about forty-five feet. Their length about one-half the width. Below is a sketch of how they appeared to me."

April 23, 1952; Lexington, Mass. Mr. R. C. Munroe (then Engineering Standards Section Head of Raytheon Manufacturing Company). While watching an AT-6 trainer aircraft about 9:30 a.m., noticed a second object nearby:

"Because of the speed at which this second aircraft was moving, I immediately concluded it was of the jet variety. I would estimate its altitude at approximately 40,000 feet. . . just below the cloud cover. My curiosity was aroused upon realizing that I could not distinguish a fuselage wing configuration. My curiosity was further aroused when this aircraft began to decelerate at an unbelievable rate. I observed the aircraft going into a flat turn, while continuing to decelerate and believe I saw the aircraft come to a stop. . .

"The observation that inspires writing this letter to you [i.e., to CSI of Los Angeles] was the speed of this aircraft, apparently accelerating from a stopped condition and flying in a northeast direction which would carry it over the north end of Boston. I would relate this speed to the apparent speed of a falling star. This speed was considerably in excess of that of any jet aircraft that I have observed.

"The altitude of this aircraft did not permit color identification. There was no apparent exhaust or vapor trail. It is inconceivable to me that any human being could have withstood the deceleration or acceleration displayed by this aircraft."

## Aviation Expert

## UFO RENDEZVOUS OBSERVED

July 16, 1952, Hampton, Virginia, 9:00 p.m. (EST). Mr. Paul R. Hill, an Aeronautical Research Engineer, holds a B.S. degree in mechanical and aeronautical engineering from the University of California. At the time of the report he had 13 years experience in aeronautical research.

Mr. Hill was aware of previous UFO sightings which had been headlined in July 1952, particularly the report by Capt. William B. Nash, Pan-American Airways pilot, who on the night of July 14 had sighted 8 circular UFOs while flying above Newport News, Va. [Section V]. Mr. Hill was situated on Chesapeake Avenue (near La Salle Avenue) on the north shore of Hampton Roads watching the sky. With him was his wife, Frances, who also witnessed what followed.

At 9:00 p.m., he noticed two amber-colored lights. He gave this description: "Two were seen first coming in over Hampton Roads at about 500 mph. from the south. These slowed down as they made a "U" turn at the southern edge of the Peninsula. They moved side by side until they revolved around each other at a high rate of speed in a tight circle 2 or 3 hundred feet in diameter. This appeared to be a rendezvous signal as a third UFO came racing up from the direction of Virginia Beach and "fell in" several hundred feet below the first two, forming a sort of "V" formation. A fourth UFO came in from up the James River and joined the group which headed on south at about 500 mph."

Mr. Hill added that the UFOs changed altitude "only when they revolved around each other, circling or spiraling rapidly (as fast as once per second).

"They moved jerkily when moving slowly. The speed varied from about 50 to 500 mph. Their ability to make tight circling turns was amazing." [See diagram.]

At about 9:03 p.m., the four UFOs had moved into the distance out of sight to the south. The color and brightness of the objects, which did not change except apparently due to increase in distance, was compared to "an amber traffic light about 3 or 4 blocks away." The elevation angle of the UFOs covered a range of

about 50 degrees, from about 10 to 60 degrees, during the observation.

Mr. Hill was interrogated by an Air Force intelligence officer from Langley Air Force Base. [9.]

NICAP note: Four amber-colored UFOs were reported at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida later the same evening.

1. Two UFOs approached, slowed.

2. Point of fast circling.

3. Third UFO joined circling ones.

4. Fourth joined formation.

5. All four moved south in group.

Paul R. Hill - Hampton, Virginia July 16, 1952

September 30, 1952; Edwards AFB, California. In a letter to the President of CSI of Los Angeles, Dick Beemer, aviation photographer for North American Aviation Company, described the following sighting. [Note that once again observation of a passing aircraft attracted the witnesses' attention to the sky. Otherwise they probably would not have noticed the UFOs]

"I went to Edwards Air Force Base [Muroc]. . . to direct the motion picture photography of a flight test. We had driven to the test site on the lake bed, and were standing outside. At 10:30 a.m., Carlos Garcia, one of our cameramen, looked up at a B-29 which was passing overhead. He said that he believed something had fallen from the plane. He then discovered that it was not from the plane, but seemed to be flying around. Then he noticed another. I thought he was joking and didn't pay much attention. Then Gene Pichler, the other cameraman looked up. He too observed them. By this time, I joined the watching party, and sure enough, there was really something there. We watched them for nearly ten minutes, and they appeared as follows:

"They were east of us at approximately a fifty degree angle from the ground level, and just below the mid-morning sun. They were flying at a very high altitude, moved at an extremely high rate of speed (much faster than a jet plane), left no vapor trails, and made no sound. Each of us thought that there were at least three in flight, but we could see no more than two at one time. They moved in no definite direction. For a short time, fifteen seconds or more, one would hover while the other would

Approved For Release 2001/04/02 57CIA-RDP81R00560R000100010001-0

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.