65 HS1-834228961 62-HQ-83894 Section 008

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JET 11 EXPLODES 11 CHASING UFO NEAR UT ICA, N . Y.: The gamy but s aucer
phobic press tried p itting wits with its readership. They handed the unsu s
pecting reader a front page story without the facts, then ( see July 3 New York
Times) presented the facts in a separate story buried in the back pages. Reason:
They fea r ed public reaction to saucer tragedy, viz: Capt. Mantell. But, wits
didn 1t pit right with Ted Bloecher and others such as Lester S. Parker of Topeka,
Kansas. They correlated the loose ends:
Let's review one 11 end 11 -- the front page story: A jet fighter returning from a
11 scramble 11 to investigate an ' 1unidentified aircraft 1' , plunged into tiny Walesville
eleven miles southwest of Utica, about 12:30 P.M., July 2, 1954. The pl ane
crashed into an auto and two buildings killing four persons.
The Air Force in Washington announced the F-94-C Starfire had been s ent up
on "an active a i r d efens e inter cept rnis sio:r:.. " Acc o rdin g t o t he 'C . P . release
of July 3, " Air• Force spokesmen said the cockpit of the plane ... became un
bearably hot during the flight and that the pilot ordered his radar observer to
bail out ... then bailed out himself at 7000 ft. "
According to the A. P. release in New York Times July 3, " The air base (Griffis
AFB) said, 'that fuel in the burning plane apparently had exploded when the jet
crashed.' They said it had not been determined whether an explosion occurred
while the jet was in the air."
" Later, ' 1 according to A. P., "an AF spokesman in Washington said the inter
cepted plane was one that had failed to file a flight plan with C. A. A. or, one
that drifted off its announced flight path. 11
The U. P. and A. P. stories of disaster were essentially true, but because of the
' 1disaster 11 angle they designated the pursued object as a " plane" rather than a
UFO. Ted Bloecher, who did some checking, told me that his friend, Ed
Wilkenson, listened to a broadcast which described the incident, thus: " The
jet had successfully contacted the UFO but still could not iden~ify it. 11
But Ted Bloecher's real find was in the small item buried in the New York Times'
(July 3) back pages. It reads:
11\. silvery, balloon-like object floating high over the Utica area sent residents
rushing to their telephones to make inquiries of newspapers, police and radio
stations.
11 The Utica Press estimated that more than 1000 calls about the object jammed
its switchboard between 6 and 10:00 P.M. It was reported sighted by residents
in a twenty-five mile radius extending from Rome on the west to Frankfort,
east of Utica.
11 Col. Milton F. Summerfelt commandant of the Air Force Depot at Rome said
the object appeared to be a plastic balloon about 40 ft. long and partially deflated.
He theorized that it was making a gradual descent and said that if it still were
in the area tomorrow morning a plane would be sent to investigate.
11 A Mohawk Airlines pilot estimated the altitude of the object at about 20, 000 ft.
He said he saw a light apparently shining from it. 1 1
( Ref. Case File - 21)