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NZDF declassified RNZAF UFO files

NZDF / RNZAF via Internet Archive · 2010-12 · 445 pages · text by GLM-OCR

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.

  • p. 10 …They passed over Christchurch about 1.30 p.m. As the aircraft moved on, they left…
  • p. 24 25 NOV 1955 # AIR DEPARTMENT. CHRISTCHURCH, N.W.4. 23rd November, 1955. The Director of Civil…
  • p. 25 …2 R.D. , CHRISTCHURCH. The Regional Superintendent, Civil Aviation Administration, CHRISTCHURCH AIRPORT. Dear Sir, The following…
  • p. 36 …12168 0182/50652 90/12165 17/16399 CHRISTCHURCH/AUCKLAND: 67/39485 CA 90/34627 CA WELLINGTON…
  • p. 165 …It was also seen by Palmerston North and Christchurch residents in N.Z. about that time…
  • p. 186 …which he witnessed from his home in Christchurch at 10.21 p.m. on the 20th…
  • p. 211 …The "Star-Sun" reporter and his wife were travelling by car towards Christchurch at 3.46…
  • p. 219 …Coutts Island to the back of the Christchurch Airport and though the cloud bank was about…
  • p. 226 …Carter had reported the incident to the Christchurch, N.Z., Press, and later decided to write…
  • p. 255 …had the pleasure of meeting for the first time, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin Representatives, Branch leaders…
  • p. 266 …It made a whizzing noise like a spinning top, they said. # MYSTERIOUS LIGHT IN SKY CHRISTCHURCH…
  • p. 299 …REPRESENTATIVES Two further representatives have been appointed in two southern cities, Christchurch and Dunedin. Representatives are…
  • p. 307 …Secretary 55 Tedder Avenue Christchurch E.3. ## WAS IT A METEOR? ## PERHAPS ONE DAY WE WILL…
  • p. 312 …received two other reports around this time one from a lady in Christchurch and another from…
  • p. 313 …August 25th Christchurch 6.40 p.m. fast moving strange light horizon tal course, in view…
  • p. 314 ## FLYING SAUCERS PAGE 18 November 17th Christchurch 11p.m. two further observers of fast m ing…
  • p. 332 …8.30 Palmerston North, Wellington, and Christchurch. A bright object, reported by many to be round…
  • p. 333 …March 18, Christchurch. Dr C.D. Ellyet, Senior Lecturer in physics at Canterbury University College, claims…
  • p. 359 …Sam Rix, Tauranga; Miss Ethne Hamber, Christchurch; Miss V.E.J.Allan, Dunedin; Dr.Benjamin D…
  • p. 393 …A passenger on the Express from Christchurch saw an unusual light in the sky near Camara…
  • p. 394 …Southland, North Otago, the West Coast and Christchurch. Some people who said they had seen it…
  • p. 396 …was travelling with his son from Christchurch to Wellington on the Saturday night when they saw…
  • p. 397 …The Christchurch observers given an apparent size of half a crown indicating a height of 6000…
  • p. 398 …Nelson Yellow/White 10.30? Cheviot? Blue Green Christchurch Blue S. Hissing Camara Blue 11.8…
  • p. 400 …9 17 minutes Christchurch/New Brighton 29.10.52 9 p.m. 1 Taradale, Napier 30…
  • p. 412 …Cigar South Nil GREEN LIGHT. Moving swiftly. Christchurch 13.10.52 Nil One 5 secs Starline…
  • p. 413 …minutes Saucer Nil Nil Redlights around lights Christchurch 3.11.52 1115 pm Two one minute…
  • p. 414 …Christchurch 6.12.52 1015 pm One 30 secs Disc South Hissing Blue in colour Ryeburn…
  • p. 418 …Williamson, has written to the "Evening Post" to say that the "flying saucer" seen in Christchurch…
  • p. 421 # BLUE DISC THAT HISSED South-Bound 'Saucer' Seen At Three Points PEOPLE in Christchurch, Kyeburn, and…
  • p. 428 …Otago, from the West Coast and from Christchurch, among others. Some people, who said they had…
  • p. 436 …Auckland astronomers and meter- ## Riccarton Run Confused By CHRISTCHURCH, November unsettled nature of the weather heavy…

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29. Several conflicting reports came from Nelson. and her two daughters, at Mapua, reported a strange, lighted object in the sky at 10 p.m. They described it as a white cigar shaped object, flat along the bottom and curved at the top. At 10.15 p.m. saw an object with revolving lights. There were four or five red lights revolving from left to right. The whole thing was covered with a yellow glow and was circular in shape. There was no none. about 10.25 p.m. saw a yellowish white light in the sky. It grew bright then almost faded away. It seemed to be moving slowly, almost hovering.

30. In the meantime the blue disc appears to have gone directly south. was travelling with his son from Christchurch to Wellington on the Saturday night when they saw, at a late hour, a "wee green light" underneath a "blue-looking round object" which moved too fast to be an aeroplane. As the ferry leaves Christchurch about 8 p.m. this would have been about 50 miles to the north of Christchurch.

31. A blue disc was also sighted at Christchurch, Kysburn (near Patearoa) Palmerston, and Waipahi. These reports all said that it was a blue disc, that if flew south at a high speed and that it hissed.

32. The report from Kyeburn told of a disc-like object travelling very fast, much faster than an aeroplane. It was travelling south in the sky, over towards Palmerston, a few minutes after 11 p.m. It was a long way away and seemed only a little larger than a large star. A resident of Palmerston saw a blue disc travelling very fast in a southerly direction about 11.8 p.m. It took only a few seconds to pass over and was followed by a bissing sound. It apparently then passed inland to the west of Dunedin.

33. Four people living at Waipahi were returning from Gore at 11.16 p.m. when the driver of the car noticed a blue light, low down in the sky, climbing towards him. He stopped the car and all four alighted to watch. The light appeared to be a blue disc about the size of an orange held at arm's length. It was travelling at a high speed in a southerly direction and passed directly overhead. About three seconds later a faint hissing sound was heard. It remained in sight for a little over three minutes.

It seems then to have returned to the north as a brilliant blue object was seen over the Port Hills at Christchurch at 11.45 p.m. A sighting was then made at Palmerston North at 12.45 a.m., but it is not clear whether this was the green or the blue object, or both.

35. A final sighting took place immediately to the north of Wellington. About 1 a.m. on 8th December

Nasnae, their daughter and her friend, all saw a bright circular object describing a slow circular route about 2,000 feet above Woburn. It was travelling very slowly, and made only two or three circuits during the hour that the matched it. At the bottom of its more or less circular route

slowly, and made only two or three circuits during the hour time the watched it. At the bottom of its more or less circular route the object had an array of sparks round its edges. As it travelled around clockwise, the sparks disappeared and a small red tail light appeared instead. As it began its downward journey the tail disappeared gradually and the object itself diminished in size until it was hardly visible. When it reached the lowest part of the circular route the sparks appeared again and the process was repeated. After seeing the object making its leisurely couple of circles they all went indoors. Checks failed to produce any logical explanation for these phenomena. A meteorological balloon was released at 10.45 p.m. but it would have burst long before 1 a.m. The Carter Observatory, Wellington, did not know of any meteorites, fireballs or other curiosities in the area at that time.

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Document, cited by the archive. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. The text was read from the page images by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word. 445 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.