Documents / Official release
Washington State ‘UFO’ Investigation, 1952-1960
Federal Bureau of Investigation · 1952 · 55 pages · text by 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.
“Seattle”36 pages
- p. 1 …WITHOUT CONSULTING FOI/PA COORDINATOR 190-87
SEATTLE FILE NO. 100-18945
REVIEWED ON 4/84…
- p. 2 …I never have seen the like of it before."
SERIALIZED FILED
JUL 30 1952
FBI - SEATTLE…
- p. 3 …Basin News Pasco, Washington
100-19550
SEARCHED INDEXED
SERIALIZED FILED
JUL 3 1 1952
FBI • SEATTLE
- p. 4 …He said recently she had been back to the Seattle area and had called the Commanding…
- p. 8 …streaked away, was observed Sunday over South Seattle by several persons.
Arthur Owley, 4430-49th Ave…
- p. 10 …KATHLEEN CARTER, 4499 Union Bridge Lane, Seattle, an employee of the Signal Division, Seattle Port of…
- p. 14 …WHERE SHOWN OTHERWISE
45
100-18945-43
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SERIALIZED FILED
G·4 1953
FBI·SEATTLE
- p. 15 # 1015 Second Avenue Seattle 4, Washington August 10, 1953
Colonel Spencer Raynor Commanding Officer 20th District…
- p. 16 SAC, SEATTLE (100-19550)
SA DOUGLAS J. KRAUTER
UNUSUAL OBJECT IN AIR HOO, AEC 8/2…
- p. 18 # 1015 Second Avenue Seattle 4, Washington August 5, 1953
Mr. Robert T. Jaske 1405 Haupt Avenue…
- p. 19 …Name of Complainant
1207 SW 152nd St. Seattle
Address of Complainant
CH 6325
Telephone Number of…
- p. 23 …100-18945-57
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JUN 1 21954
SEATTLE
- p. 24 …Auerbach Special Agent in Charge Federal Bureau of Investigation 1015 Second Avenue Seattle 4, Washington
Dear…
- p. 25 …Auerbach Special Agent in Charge Federal Bureau of Investigation 1015 Second Avenue Seattle 4, Washington
10…
- p. 27 …Auerbach Special Agent in Charge Federal Bureau of Investigation 1015 Second Avenue Seattle 4, Washington
Dear…
- p. 29 …WHERE SHOWN OTHERWISE
100-18945.56a
x
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SERIALIZED FILED
JUN 9 1954
FBI - SEATTLE
- p. 30 …SAC SEATTLE
DATE: 6/22/54
FROM : SA J. FRANCIS SULLIVAN
100-18495
SUBJECT: UNIDENTIFIED FLYING…
- p. 31 …Auerbach Special Agent in Charge Federal Bureau of Investigation 1015 Second Avenue Seattle, Washington
Re: Unidentified…
- p. 32 …All weather stations, as well as Seattle AMIS; Navy; Coast Guard; 5 ADDC at Vancouver, B…
- p. 34 …Dawson resides at 8543-60 119th St, Seattle, Tel: MOHAWK-4069. Dawson recently visited his mother…
- p. 35 …JUN 21 1954
FBI - SEATTLE
Special Agent
- p. 39 …SAC, SEATTLE (62-
DATE: 6/1/56
FROM : SA CLEMENT W. PARKHURST
SUBJECT: FLYING SAUGER SEEN…
- p. 40 …The
2-OSI
1 - Seattle (100-18945)
LAD/pjf (3)
HEREIN IS UNCLAIMED WHERE SHOWN OTHERWISE…
- p. 42 …SAC, SEATTLE
DATE: 9-29-56
FROM : ROBERT E. PRINGLE
SUBJECT: UNIDENTIFIED OBJECTS REPORTED NEAR CAPE…
- p. 43 1015 Second Avenue Seattle, Washington October 17, 1956
Colonel Spencer W. Raynor, USAF District Commander 20th…
- p. 45 # 1015 Second Avenue Seattle 4, Washington November 15, 1957
Colonel Spencer W. Raynor District Commander 20th…
- p. 46 …100-18945-609
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SERIALIZED SCHEDULED
JUN 28 1958
FRI • SEATTLE
- p. 47 …100-18945-70
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JUN 28 1958
FRI • SEATTLE
- p. 48 # 1015 Second Avenue Seattle 4, Washington October 31, 1958
Mr. Alvin A. Wilcox South 2816 Monroe…
- p. 49 …SAC, SEATTLE (62-0)
DATE: 12/3/58
FROM : SA JAMES F. FLYNN
SUBJECT: FLYING SAUCERS…
- p. 50 …SAC, Seattle (62-0)
DATE: 4/20/59
FROM : SA John E. Connor
SUBJECT: Unidentified Flying…
- p. 51 …SAC, SEATTLE
DATE: July 17,1959
FROM : SA JAMES H. SANDUSKY
SUBJECT: INFO RE STRANGE FLYING…
- p. 52 …SAC, SEATTLE (105-0)
DATE: 10/10/59
FROM : SA VERNON P. COYNE
SUBJECT: "FLYING DISC…
- p. 53 # 1015 Second Avenue Seattle 4, Washington October 16, 1959
Col. Paul A. Hurst, USAF District Commander…
- p. 54 …out in open congressional hearing," Hillenkoetter said.
SEATTLE TIMES
FEB 28 1960
PAGE 6 COL 5…
- p. 55 …SAC, SEATTLE
DATE: 8/18/60
FROM : SA MERTON R. ANDERSON
SUBJECT: UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECT Sighted…
# PASCOITES SPOT MYSTERY' OBJECT
# 'Saucer Like Giant Pinwheel'
A brilliant and high speed object that flashed through the sky over Pasco was reported by five persons living in the Navy Homes Project.
Presence of the objects aroused much speculation as result of the final admission by the Army Air Force that such objects have been sighted on radar screens and have been chased by fast jet airplanes.
The object reported over Pasco last night was described in almost identical detail by all persons who reported they had seen it. The time of the object's appearance also coincided.
Mrs. Fern Jorgenson, 10-B Navy Homes, said the "saucer" was round and seemed ringed with flashing lights, mostly green.
ALL INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS UNCLASSIFIED EXCEPT WHERE SHOWN OTHERWISE
"Columbia Basin News" July 29, 1952 Pasco, Washington
"It seemed to be traveling at terrific speed," she said. "I blinked my eyes once after I first saw it and it appeared to have gone miles during the fraction of a second my eyes were closed." Mrs. Jorgenson's husband also witnessed the strange sight.
Three boys who were playing in a field back of the Navy Homes' registration office, also reported seeing the strange sight.
"It was just like a giant pinwheel," said Timothy Hogland, 9-B Navy Homes. "It seemed to spin but it went so fast you hardly could follow it."
Robert Greeno, 53-B Navy Homes, said:
"It came out of the west and streaked across the sky. It disappeared in the east."
Thomas Thompson, 10-D Navy Homes, had another comment. It was:
"It couldn't have been an airplane with running lights. I've seen too many of them. This was round and it was ringed with lights. It traveled too fast for an airplane."
The closest check possible last night disclosed that there were no scheduled flights of airplanes over this area at the time.
Another party also said he saw the object but refused to be named in the matter. He is an experienced flyer and said it definitely was not an airplane.
"I can only describe it by saying it was something out of this world. I never have seen the like of it before."
SERIALIZED FILED
JUL 30 1952
FBI - SEATTLE
100-18945-35
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About this file
Official release, from the pursue collection. 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. 55 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.