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

(Names and addresses of other witnesses on file at NICAP.)

A somewhat similar case during the winter of 1943 or 1944 was reported by Harry G. Barnes, then a member of the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department stationed at No.1 Precinct. About 3:00 p.m., Barnes saw three oval-shaped UFOs in V-formation speed eastward across the NE sky. The objects had pulsating greenish-red "exhausts", which occasionally flared and curled around them. [5.]

State Policeman Fred Porcello, Portville, N.Y., saw two UFOs of uncommon configuration July 24, 1960. He described the sighting to Olean, N.Y., newsman Bob Barry who relayed the report to NICAP.

While Officer Porcello was playing in the yard with his children between 8:30 and 9:00 p.m., his youngest son, Fred Jr. (age 7) pointed to the sky and said: "Look Daddy, two light bulbs in the

sky." He looked and saw two glowing reddish objects which did resemble light bulbs, moving toward them in the southern sky.

As the UFOs changed angle relative to the sun, they appeared silvery and metallic (suggesting that the glow was reflected sunlight). They changed course to the NNW, then stopped and hovered for a short period of time. Then the objects made a fairly sharp right turn, heading east, swung back toward the south and moved out of sight in the distance. They had been visible 4-5 minutes. When not glowing, the UFOs appeared to be dumbbell-shaped, round on the ends with an oblong section between.

(On August 21, 1956, J. Gordon Campbell observed similar objects while flying between Sheridan, Wyoming, and Billings, Montana. Mr. Campbell is president of a Minneapolis machine tool and industrial supply company. Shortly after 8:00 p.m., a dark elongated object with knobs at each end rapidly approached his plane, hovered, then sped away. Seconds later, four similar objects maneuvered near his plane).

OTHER POLICE CASES

Date & Location	Names	Description	Notes
July 4,1947	Portland,Ore.	Ptn. Kenneth A. McDowell	5 discs,up&down oscillation.	[7]
July 7,1947	Tacoma,Wash.	Ptn. Evan Davis&Stan Johnson	3 spinning objects,sparks emitted,attracted back;hovered,changed direction.	[8]
Jan.7,1948	Kentucky	State Police	Huge round UFO reported to Godman AFB.Capt.Mantell case;[See Section V.]
July 28,1952	Shelby Co.,Ind.	State Policemen Charles Longstreet&Norman Mellis	Star-like UFO"moved up and down,and back and forth,and at times it would hover."	[9]
Aug.28,1952	Atlanta,Ga.	Six officers including Ptn.M.J.Spears and A.L.Elsberry	UFO changing color,"every so often it would sprout a red flamed trail,then it would move up and down...it turned a flip a couple of times."	[10]
Sept.22,1952	Fairfax Co.,Va.	Police Pvt's.Douglas Dunn,Julian Burke,Martin Eherill,and Sgt.Wall	1-4 glowing objects circled and maneuvered over area.Dunn saw 3-4 at one time:"Looked like a white ball of fire coming through the clouds...they would come and go...it was like tag."Burke:"One would pop out here,another there...Weird...weird indeed."	[11]
Sept.11-13,1953	Chiloquin,Ore.	Police Chief Lew Jones	Top-like UFOs,seen by many citizens over three nights,sighted once by Chief Jones.Watched through binoculars,appeared top-shaped with body lights.	[12]
Nov.2,1955	Williston,Fla.	Deputy Sheriff A.H.Perkins,Ptn.C.F.Bell	Perkins twice witnessed UFOs seen by over a dozen area residents.Bell saw 6 oval-shaped UFOs moving in spurts,felt stinging heat.	[13]
Nov.24-25,1956	So.Dakota	Sheriff Glen Best,State Policeman C.D.Erickson	Widespread sightings,rumors of radar contacts by Ellsworth AFB pilots;near Rapid City officers chased a UFO which had steady green light,flashing red light.UFO occasionally beamed a white light upwards.	[14]
Nov.2,1957	Levelland,Tex.	Sheriff Weir Clem,Deputy Pat McCullough	Bright red elliptical UFO,also seen by many others.[See Section XII;Nov.1957 Chronology]
Nov.4,1957	Elmwood Park,Ill.	Officers Joseph Lukasek,Clifford Schau,and Daniel DeGiovanni	Round,reddish object hovered over cemetery,moved away when pursued by police.	[15]
Nov.6,1957	nr.Danville,Ill.	State Policemen Calvin Showers,John Matulis	Brilliant white light,changing to amber and orange,viewed 20 minutes;cruiser radio failed.	[16]
Nov.10,1957	Hammond,Ind.	Capt.Dennis Becky,Officers Charles Moore,Charles Mauder,and Steve Betustak	Elongated object with one red,one white,body light;interference on police radio.Object eluded pursuing police.	[17]
April9,1958	Newport Beach,Calif.	Ptn.R.Gordon	Two flat objects with rows of six flashing lights onleading edge of each,low above ocean with light reflecting in water;maneuvered,made sharp turns.	[18]
Aug.24,1958	Westwood,N.J.	Ptn.Richard Schulz and Richard McCabe	Glowing orange circular UFO hovered,moved Erapidly disappearing in seconds.	[19]
Oct.12,1958	Aurora,Ill.	Ptn.William Hornyan and Jack Adams	Several yellow objects moving in all directions;many witnesses.	[20]
April3,1959	Ocoee,Fla.	John F.Wilmeth,retiredU.S.Treasury enforcement officer,former Coast Guard Lieut.	Large greenish-yellow light ascending,reflecting on lake;faded,re-appeared descending,hovered...finally ascended out of sight.	[21]

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.