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This is a New Zealand Defence Force public release of RNZAF file AIR 39/3/3, "Flying Saucers," which covers 1952 to 1955 and was declassified in September 2010 under the Official Information Act. It collects sighting reports from the public and military personnel, press clippings, and a table of 1952 sightings. It also holds Carter Observatory opinions attributing some reports to meteors. A large part covers the inquiry into lights seen from National Airways Corporation Flight 108 on 31 October 1955, which the RNZAF could not fully explain as Venus.
“University of Sydney”4 pages
110 32/37,15 Dear Sir 10-1-55 FILE Whilst walking along the O taki beach front yesterday (sunday) evening about 8.25, I, and several people about me, noticed a brilliant orange light moving horizontally across the sky, about a mile inland. After a few seconds it stopped and it became very dull, then it became about ten times brighter and seemed to drop something about the same size and colour as its self, which, as it fell disappeared. I knew it moved along and disappeared into some clouds. I wondered if perhaps a plane may have dropped a flare and that is what we saw, although I doubt it. Could you please therefore inform me if there was a plane dropping flares in the vicinity, or give me any information on the matter.
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