Incident #234 — Photographs of 'Flying Saucer' — Oak Ridge, Tennessee, July 1947

This document file details the investigation of Incident #234, which involved photographs of an alleged 'flying saucer' taken in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, in July 1947. The case originated when an individual submitted photographs to the Knoxville News Sentinel and subsequently to the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC). The AEC, through its Investigation Section, forwarded the materials to the Air Materiel Command (AMC) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base for technical analysis. The AMC Engineering Liaison Officer at the NEPA Project in Oak Ridge facilitated the transfer of the negatives and prints. Technical analysis conducted by the Intelligence Department concluded that the 'object' captured in the photographs was not an actual aerial phenomenon but rather a photographic flaw. Experts noted that the emulsion on the negative was raised, indicating that a drop of warm water or developer had struck the film during the development process. This conclusion was further substantiated by the fact that the 'trail' seen in the images was continuous across two separate negatives, and that the trail extended beyond the normal format of the negative, appearing only on the fogged edge of the film. The investigation determined that the object was never seen visually by the photographer. Consequently, the Air Force concluded that the negatives contained no information pertinent to Project Sign, and the case was closed with no further investigation required. The file includes various internal memos between military departments, including the Engineering Division and the Intelligence Department, confirming the return of materials and the final assessment of the photographic evidence.