Documents / Hearing transcript
This is the printed record of a July 29, 1968 symposium on unidentified flying objects held by the Committee on Science and Astronautics of the U.S. House of Representatives, chaired by Rep. J. Edward Roush. The committee heard statements from six scientists: J. Allen Hynek, James E. McDonald, Carl Sagan, Robert L. Hall, James A. Harder and Robert M. L. Baker. It also printed papers from Donald Menzel, Stanton Friedman, Frank Salisbury and others. Hynek argued that puzzling UFO reports from competent witnesses deserve serious scientific study.
“Nevers”43 pages
115 Officer Scott and myself, after our verification, continued to watch the object. On two occasions the object came directly towards the patrol vehicle : Each time it approached the object turned, swept the area with a huge red light. Officer Scott turned the red light on the patrol vehicle towards the object and it im- mediately went away from us. We Observed the object use the red beam approxi- mately 6 or 7 times, sweeping the sky and ground areas. The object began mov- ing slowly in an easterly direction and we followed. We proceeded to the Vina Plains Fire Station where we again were able to locate the object. As we watched it was approached by a similar object from the south. It moved near the first object and both stopped, remaining in that position for some time, occasionally emitting the red beam. Finally both objects disappeared below the eastern hori- zon. We returned to the Sheriff's Office and met Deputy Fry and Deputy Mont- gomery, who had gone to Los Molinos after contacting the radar base. Both had seen the U.F.O. clearly and described to us what we saw. The night jailer also was able to see the object for a short time, each described the object and its maneuvers exactly as we saw them. We first saw the object at 2.350 hours and observed it for approx. 2 hours and 15 minutes. Each time the object neared us we experienced radio interference. Sir, we submit this report in confidence, for your information, we were calm after our initial shock and decided to observe and record all we could of the object. CHARLES A. CARSON, No. 2358. S. E. SCOTT, No. 1851. Officers Scott and Carson were searching for a speeding motor- cyclist along Hoag Road, east of Corning, Calif., between U.S. High- way No. 99W and 99E when they saw what at first appeared to be a huge airliner dropping from the sky. This was at 11:50 p.m. They stopped and leaped from the patrol car in order to get a position on what they were sure was going to be an airplane crash. From their position outside the car the first thing they noticed was an absolute silence. Still assuming it to be an aircraft with power off, they con- tinued to watch until the object was probably within 100 to 200 feet off the ground, whereupon it suddenly reversed completely, traveling at high speed back up the 45 -degree glide path it had been taking, and gaining about 500 -feet altitude. This observation was from a distance of one-half to 1 mile. They said it was about the size of a DC -6 without wings; Officer Carson later made a sketch which shows an elliptical object 150 feet long and 40 feet high. It was a very clear night, with no clouds, and as the object hovered for about a minute they got a good look at it. It was obviously not an aircraft of any design familiar to them, they said. It was surrounded by a white glow, making the object visible. At each end there were definite red lights, and at times five white lights were visible between the two red lights. They called the night dispatching office at the county sheriff's office and asked that other cars be sent, and that all other cars in the area be alerted. They also asked the radar base be notified. The object then drifted westward toward them, losing altitude, and got within some 150 yards of them, easy pistol range, before drift- ing eastward again. During this time it performed aerial feats that seemed unbelievable. It was capable of moving in any direction—up, down, back, and forth. At times the movement was very slow, andat times completely motionless. It could move at extremely high speeds, and several times they watched it change direction or reverse itself while moving at unbelievable speeds.
Hearing transcript, from the govinfo collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is under it. 256 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.