Incident #40 Sighting Report — Phoenix, Arizona, 7 July 1947

This document collection details the investigation into a UFO sighting reported by a civilian in Phoenix, Arizona, on 7 July 1947. The witness claimed to have observed an elliptical, grey object, approximately 20 to 30 feet in diameter, performing complex maneuvers including spiraling from 5,000 feet down to 2,000 feet before ascending at a 45-degree angle. The witness reported the object made a sound similar to a jet engine and possessed a cockpit canopy and a tail with two points. The witness claimed to have taken two photographs of the object using a Kodak Brownie 120 box camera. The investigation, conducted by the Office of Special Investigations (OSI) and the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC), quickly turned toward skepticism. Investigators noted that the witness's story was inconsistent and that he had attempted to sell the story to magazines, including 'Amazing Stories.' Photographic experts at ATIC examined the prints and negatives, concluding that the images were of extremely poor quality, potentially manipulated, and that the 'tail' observed on the object was likely a result of shutter distortion or poor development techniques. Furthermore, the witness's background and his claims of being a scientist were scrutinized, with investigators finding no evidence to support his professional status. The case was eventually categorized as a probable hoax. The documents include various internal memoranda, routing sheets, and correspondence between military intelligence offices, reflecting the Air Force's efforts to verify the authenticity of the photographs and the witness's claims. The final assessments, including those by Dr. Irving Langmuir, dismissed the sighting as a fabrication, with some suggesting the object in the photos might have been simple debris or a result of photographic trickery. The file also documents the Air Force's struggle to retrieve the original negatives from the witness, who was reluctant to return them, further fueling suspicions of a hoax.