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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# 1015 Second Avenue Seattle 4, Washington October 16, 1959

Col. Paul A. Hurst, USAF District Commander, OSI 20th District Headquarters McChord Air Force Base Washington

RE: "FLYING SAUCER" REPORT

Dear Sir:

For your information, Mrs. Neil Gotschall, 7525 28th S.W., Seattle, telephone number West 7-6896, telephonically advised that between 4:00 A.M. and 4:45 A.M. on October 10, 1959, she had observed a very bright light toward the East from her residence. Mrs. Gotschall said that this light, which appeared to be about the size of a dime, had a tremendous brilliance. The light reportedly was moving vertically in and out of sight, but did not seem to move horizontally.

Mrs. Gotschall said that she awakened her husband, who is an administrator at the Boeing Airplane Company working on the Bomarc project, and asked him to observe this weird light. She said that her husband had also observed it for a period of time and had no explanation as to what it might be.

Mrs. Gotschall said that both she and her husband had been complete skeptics on the "business of flying saucers" but that after observing this phenomenon they are now ready to"join the club." She said that she even put on a coat and went out into the yard to observe the light more clearly. She said the light kept appearing and disappearing, but that she noticed that after two airplanes had crossed the sky between her and the light, the light disappeared.

No inquiry is being conducted into this matter by the FBI and the above is being provided for whatever value it may be to you.

Very truly yours,

2 - Addressee

1 - Seattle (100-18945)

CHD:msd

him

J. E. MILNES Special Agent in Charge

ALL INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS UNCLASSIFIED EXCEPT WHERE SHOWN OTHERWISE

100-18945=76

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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.