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This section of FBI file 62-HQ-83894 collects Bureau correspondence and memoranda on flying saucers from 1952 to 1954. It holds letters from the public, which J. Edgar Hoover forwarded to the Air Force's Office of Special Investigations, and a 1952 teletype about a saucer-shaped light over the Savannah River Plant. It also includes an FBI Laboratory examination of the burned cap of scoutmaster D. S. DesVergers, which found no identifying residue, and instructions to field offices to refer disc reports to the Air Force.
••Source of Reports ( The majority of reports of aerial phonomena havo come from civilians . About 8 percent come from. civil airlines pilots, whilo approximately 25 percent are reported by military personnel. Reports have boen received also from highly qualified scientists, Although primary significance is attached to reports from qualified observers, there is no intention to discredit untrained observers. Radar Sightings The Air Force has r eceived many r eports of unusual images on radar scopes. It is fairly well established that some of these images are ground objects reflected from a layer of warm air above the earth (a temperature inversion) . Temperature inver sion r eflections can give a r eturn on a radar scope that is as sharp as that received f rom an aircraft , Speed ranges of theso r eturns are reportedly from zero to fantastic speeds . The "objects" also appear to move in all directions, Such radar sightings have resulted in hundreds of fruitless inter cept efforts. One scientific theory holds that light can bo similarly reflected from a layer of warm air above the earth and, if proven to be correct, this could account for some visual sightings. Bearing out the theory of temperature inversion reflection is o.n incident which occurred in January 1951 near Oakridge, Tennoesoo. Two Air Force aircr aft attempted to intercept an unidentified "object" and actually established a radar '~lock" on tho object, Their altitude at the time was 7 ,000 feet . The unidentifiel object, according to their radar, appoarod to be at an elevati on of ton to 25 degrees , Three pusses were made in an attempt t o clooe on the object. In ouch instance the pilots reported that their radar l ed thom first upward and then down toward a specific point on the ground. Ionized clouds ar e believed to be the causo of some unidontifiod radar retu;rns , Thunderstorm activity is identifiable by radar, o.nd radar is used for the purpose of avoiding thunderstorms, In addition, r adar has picked up many objects first reported as "unidentified phenomena" which were later identified as aircraft, birds, balloons, ice formations in tho air, or other known aerial obJocts or manifestations. Policy Regarding Attempted Interception No orders have been ~seued by the Air Defense Commo.nd t o its fighter unite to fire on unidentified aerial phenomena, The Air Defense Command is charged with air defense of the United States, and its mission is to attack anything airborne which io m,wn or oppooro to be boot1le. Thio ctioul.i oot bo i nt-Orproted to goon toot o~ piloto will nro hnpbnBOl'Oly on nnyth1nc t,hat flies. - 3 -
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