Documents / Official release

Washington State ‘UFO’ Investigation, 1952-1960

Federal Bureau of Investigation · 1952 · 55 pages · text by GLM-OCR

This Federal Bureau of Investigation Seattle field office file (100-18945) gathers flying saucer material from 1952 to 1960. It holds newspaper clippings, citizen complaint forms and agent memoranda about sightings over Pasco, Kennewick, Seattle, Richland and the Hanford reservation, Spokane and other Washington locations. The file records 1952 agreements with military intelligence on passing reports to OSI and the Air Force. One Hanford sighting from 1953 was attributed to a meteorological balloon. The FBI itself carried out no investigations.

From the source:Release of 2026-06-12 Incident: July 1952-1960, Washington State, United States. This file details an investigation of various sightings of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) in Washington state between July 1952 and August 1960. This file includes memoranda and correspondence between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Air Force regarding UFO sightings.

  • p. 5 …Raynor stated that he had sent back to OSI Headquarters at Washington, D.C. his report…
  • p. 6 …immediately for referral to his headquarters.
  • p. 24 # DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES AIR FORCE WASHINGTON # THE INSPECTOR GENERAL USAF 20th…
  • p. 25 # DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES AIR FORCE WASHINGTON 20D 06I 24-0 THE…
  • p. 27 # DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES AIR FORCE WASHINGTON PVH:ms THE INSPECTOR GENERAL…
  • p. 31 # DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES AIR FORCE WASHINGTON HLW:rs THE INSPECTOR GENERAL…
  • p. 36 …the FBI at national level, nor has Headquarters FBI expressed an interest in receiving this type…
  • p. 53 …Hurst, USAF District Commander, OSI 20th District Headquarters McChord Air Force Base Washington RE: "FLYING SAUCER…

Read from the scan by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word.

# Office Memorandum UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT

TO SAC(100-18945)

DATE: 8-3=53

FROM : SA D. J. KRAUTER

SUBJECT: UNUSUAL OBJECT SIGHTED IN SKY OVER HOO, AEC.

The attached letter is self-explanatory.

Immediately on receipt of the letter, the matter was taken up with the Security Division of ABC, inasmuch as the object was sighted in area over the ABC reservation space.

O. R. SIMPSON, Asst. Chief, checked with the 5th AAA group on ascertaining that their airport records indicating tracking over the reservation on July 15. The AAA group reported that they had released a meteorological balloon, equipped with radio and other meteorological equipment at 2:05 PM on July 15th. The radar had tracked it at 25,000 feet, losing it at that height going in the same area as that described by the complainant.

Even though the object was over the AEC reservation and the AEC and 5th Group Radar believe they have explained it, it is felt desirable to refer the report to the attention of the Air Force as they may wish to discuss it with the two other interested services.

ALL INFORMATION CONTAINED

WOMEN IS UNCLASSIFIED

EVENT WHERE SHOWN OTHERWISE

45

100-18945-43

SEARCHED INDEXED

SERIALIZED FILED

G·4 1953

FBI·SEATTLE

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About this file

Official release, from the pursue collection. 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. 55 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.