Project Blue Book case file: Kenneth Arnold

The Black Vault (USAF records) · 62 pages · text by OCR

This US Air Force Project Blue Book case file on Kenneth Arnold's sighting of nine objects near Mount Rainier, Washington, on 24 June 1947 was released through The Black Vault. It contains the Project 10073 record card, which concludes the objects were a mirage, plus Arnold's telegram, questionnaire data and interview notes. It also includes J. Allen Hynek's analysis arguing the objects were closer and slower than Arnold estimated. Other items are David Johnson's sworn statement on a Boise sighting, a Tacoma investigation telegram and news clippings.

Open the PDF at page 11 Original source ↗

“Nevers”11 pages

p. 12 …found it to be approximately 150 MPE. Never before had he observed planes flying so close…
p. 22 …pressing the search, that I probably would never see the disc-like objects referred to by…
p. 26 …has never consulted aeronautical charts of the type the Army uses. Mr. stated that his business…
p. 27 Incident LAF 1208 I flying through the air I would never say a word about it…
p. 30 …I never asked nor wanted any notoriety for just accidently being in the right spot at…
p. 31 …I watched these objects with great interest as I had never before observed
p. 36 …John Lee on the street corner or Pete Andrews on the ranch has never heard about…
p. 45 …Arnold had never been much of a reader and was not a science fiction fan, but…
p. 47 …SAUCERS Reed concludes that, although we can never know for certain, the implication that the Times…
p. 51 …hour," he admitted. "but I know I never saw any thing, so fast." He said at…
p. 54 …hour," he admitted, "but I know I never saw anything so fast." By his plane's…

1. Date 24th June 1947

2. Time 1500

3. Location Mt. Ranier, Washington

4. Name of observer

5. Occupation of observer Dealer in fire control supplies hold private

6. Address of observer Boise, Iannb

7. Place of observation Keer Mineral, Washington

8. Number of objects 9

9. Distance of object from observer 20 to 25 miles

10. Timo in sight 2-1/2 to 3 minutes

11. Altitude 9.500 ft

12. Speed XV7BI Approx 150 MPH

13. Direction of flight North to South at $ 1 7 0^{\circ} $

14. Tactics Horizontal flight

15. Sound N/S

16. Sizo Approximately that of DC-4 - 45 to 50 ft

17. Color mirror like

18. Shapo Approximately circular

19. Odor detected K/S

20. Apparent construction E/S

21. Exhaust trails I/S

22. Weather conditions CAVU

23. Effect on clouds X/S

24. Sketches or photographs Drawinga

25. Manner of disappearance N/S

26. Remarks: (over) UNCLASSIFIED

Cited by

The Kenneth Arnold Sighting 1947

Cases discussed

The Maury Island Incident 1947
investigation of flying disc that took place in Tacoma Washington July 9 thru August 3rd
United Air Lines Flight 105 Sighting, Emmett, Idaho 1947
co-pilot Stevens of United Air Lines and myself have compared our observations
The 1947 Flying Disc Craze: America's First Flying Saucer Wave 1947
aerial search of the northwest states in an effort to see and photograph a flying disc

About this file

Document, cited by the archive. 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. 62 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.