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…
# Approved For Release 2001/04/02 Photographic Cases (Continued)

March 1954; Rouen, France (case 24) Drawing from photograph, by Eric Aldwinckle

May 11, 1950; Oregon (Case 7) Drawing from photograph, by Eric Aldwinckle

January 16, 1958; Trindade Isle, Brazil Drawing from photograph, by Eric Aldwinckle

Because the same film contained family scenes of great personal value to Mr. Purdon, he was not willing to risk loaning it for analysis. He did agree to show the film to any NICAP representative, but the nearest NICAP personnel were not able to make the trip for that purpose. To the best of our knowledge, the film has not been analyzed.

45. Redmond, Ore., FAA Case. After a great deal of difficulty and lengthy correspondence, a copy of motion picture film taken by an IGY "All-Sky" Camera site in Redmond, Oregon, was obtained from the Cornell University Aurora Archive, Ithaca,

## CIA-RDP81R00560R000100010001-0

N. Y. The camera had been in operation on the night of an important UFO sighting by Federal Aviation Agency personnel at Redmond airport [Section V], and it was felt that an unusual opportunity for objective confirmation of the sighting was available. However, the film was not received until August 1960 and the covering letter stated: "You have been a victim of the testing of the film copying process here at Ithaca, and we have just received the first copy. . You should bear in mind that the camera gives a very small image of the sky, and it is seldom possible to see star sized objects unless they are very bright. ."

Max B. Miller projected the film and viewed it frame by frame. In his report to NICAP, Mr. Miller stated the film was "in such deplorable condition as to be almost worthless. There are thousands of dust specks and processing specks. . . So unless the UFO were of spectacular brilliance or dimensions, or were recorded on at least three consecutive frames, you'd never find it. Moreover, internal lens reflections (also countless) create an additional problem." The attempt to find photographic confirmation was therefore totally inconclusive.

(For data about All-Sky cameras and their use, see IGY General Report Series, Numbers 5 & 6, September 1959, National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council, Washington 25, D. C. The instruments consist of a convex mirror and a 16 mm motion picture camera adjusted to time-lapse photography).

46. J. J. Rehill, Miami, Fla. According to a story in the Miami Herald, December 6, 1959, Seaman Rehill while on leave saw a flash of light in the sky while taking a picture in the city. He used an Argus C-3 camera and color film. When the picture was returned after processing, it showed five white spots, one disc-shaped followed by a white streak. The paper reports: "The transparency itself was undamaged. There was no evidence whatsoever of any monkey business with the original film."

Norbert Gariety, then editor of a UFO publication in Coral Gables, telephoned Rehill and interviewed him after the Herald story appeared. Mr. Rehill stated he had been interrogated by Air Force investigators, and they had examined his camera and the roll of pictures. NICAP wrote the public information officer at Mr. Rehill's base on January 4, 1960, but did not receive any reply.

47. Joe Perry, Grand Blanc, Michigan. The Detroit Times, March 9, reported the story of this photograph, stating that the FBI was investigating it. While pursuing his hobby of astronomical photography, Mr. Perry obtained a color photograph (slide) reportedly showing a UFO which was "disc-shaped with a dome and leaving a green trail." (The image on the print examined by NICAP is similar to a black disc viewed edge-on, but not perfectly symmetrical, and the "object" is surrounded by green coloration resembling a glow.)

The FBI turned Mr. Perry's slide over to the Air Force for analysis. Later the Air Force stated their opinion "that the blue spots [sic] on the slide are not images but result from damage to the emulsion during the developing process."

A color print of Mr. Perry's photograph was analyzed for NICAP by Max B. Miller, who reported September 18, 1960: The UFO "quite probably is a cinch mark. . . it could either be foreign matter which attached itself to the film during processing or undeveloped emulsion, and I'm inclined to say the latter. . . the

Appearance of typical lens flare sometimes mistaken for UFOs; caused by bright light source reflecting from camera lens.

(Drawing from photograph, by Eric Aldwinckle)

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.