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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# DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES AIR FORCE WASHINGTON

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THE INSPECTOR GENERAL USAF 20th DISTRICT OFFICE OF SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS McCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, McCHORD FIELD, WASHINGTON

20D OSI 24-0

24 June 1954

Mr. R. D. Auerbach Special Agent in Charge Federal Bureau of Investigation 1015 Second Avenue Seattle, Washington

Re: Unidentified Flying Objects

Dear Sir:

The following is quoted for your information from an Intelligence Summary, 25th Air Division to Air Technical Intelligence Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, concerning Unidentified Flying Objects, as reported to Special Agent SULLIVAN, your office, on 22 June 1954:

"SUMMARY

"FLYING OBJECT REPORT GROUND AND AIRBORNE RADAR SIGHTINGS OF UNKNOWN BLIPS OR TARGETS

An unknown blip or target was picked up on TIMOTHY radar control scope in Georef LE 1604, estimated 200 knot speed, estimated altitude 15 angles, originally at 0314Z and intermittently thereafter for a total of three (3) sightings by TIMOTHY within a ten (10) minute period after which time blip or target remained off. Upon first pickup, TIMOTHY relayed information to MERCURY (Direction Center) who took immediate action to vector two fighter interceptors, Pronto Blue #1 and 2, (who were on CAP, at 0400Z) off CAP to vicinity of blip or target. Pronto Blue #2 obtained an airborne radar pickup lower left portion scope, approximately twenty-eight (28) miles from blip or target which separated into two "clear distinct" blips at 0435Z; altitude 25,000 feet. Blue #2 attempted to close on 30 degree port heading in attempt to center blip, descending from 25,000 feet to 6,000 feet and to within estimated six (6) miles with speed increasing from .85 to .9 Mach. Blip then slid off scope from 30 degree port to 60 degree port. Blue #1 obtained an airborne radar pickup at 30 degrees at approximately 0436Z at 20,000 feet altitude. Blue #1 held pickup for approximately twenty (20) seconds, or three sweeps of AI radar after which time blips or targets slid off scope from 30 degrees port to 60 degrees port.

Stupper 81 x 51 59 cm

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100. 18945

CONFIDENTIAL 10018945-5808

SEARCHED INDEXED

SERIALIZED FILED

JUN 25 1954

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.