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. 4 …was held at the offices of Col. SPENCER RAYNOR, Commanding Officer, 20th District, Office of Special…
  • p. 10 …The above information was furnished to Colonel SPENCER RAYNOR, OSI; to SA SULLIVAN of IFO #3…
  • p. 15 # 1015 Second Avenue Seattle 4, Washington August 10, 1953 Colonel Spencer Raynor Commanding Officer 20th District…
  • p. 24 …Sincerely, 1 Incl Newspaper Clipping Spencer H. Raynor SPENCER W. RAYNOR Colonel, USAF District Commander cc…
  • p. 25 …Dir OSI Sincerely, SPENCER W. RAYNOR Colonel, USAF District Commander
  • p. 27 …Sincerely, 1 Incl Newspaper Clipping Stunned 8 / 25 / 59 col Spencer H. Raynor Sry cc: Dir…
  • p. 33 …Raynor SPENCER W. RAYNOR Colonel, USAF District Commander oo: Dir OSI
  • p. 40 Colonel Spencer W. Raynor, USAF District Commander 20th District, OSI McChord Air Force Base, Washington Re…
  • p. 41 …Colonel Spencer W. Raynor, USAF District Commander, OSI Re: Unidentified Flying Objects Date: June 12, 1956…
  • 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…

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# 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 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.