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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TO: Colonel Spencer W. Raynor, USAF District Commander, OSI

Re: Unidentified Flying Objects

Date: June 12, 1956

ball stood still several minutes and then took off with a speed so great that it disappeared from sight in a matter of seconds. Richardson stated that obviously some different type of engine was utilized in flight such as a jet engine because of the speed with which the ball left. Richardson noted no fire or smoke on leaving.

Richardson stated that the most disturbing thing to him is that apparently the builders of the ball have mastered the pull of gravity. He stated that this fact puts this country in a poor position defensively as the ball obviously either came from Russia or some outerspace planet in which case the Russians might get hold of it first. Richardson noted that the ball was flying too low for radar detection and too fast for interception by any known United States device. Richardson commented that the United States does not have this ball or they would not be producing winged aircraft, jet planes, nikes, etc. Richardson stated that he theorizes that whoever built the ball is using the principle of likes attract and positives repel to defy gravity and that the ship is flying on electron beams or some other natural phenomena such as light waves. He stated he never saw the ball again and has not advised other persons other than the FBI. He also stated that he did not hear of anyone else seeing the ball but commented that due to his training he is a skilled observer.

The above is for your information and no investigation is being made by this office. There is no objection by this office to your investigation of this matter and your interview of Sergeant Gordon Richardson.

Very truly yours,

R. D. Auerbach Special Agent in Charge

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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.