Declassified UFO / UAP Document
Initial Report of Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) — Pease Air Force Base, 20-21 August 1965
Ever wanted to host your own late-night paranormal radio show?
Across the Airwaves
You're on the air. Callers bring Mothman, Fresno Nightcrawlers, UFO sightings, reptilian autopsies, and whispers about AATIP and Project Blue Book. Every reply shapes how the night goes.
AI-Generated Summary
This report documents a UFO sighting at Pease AFB in August 1965, which was officially attributed to the Echo Satellite and a light aircraft. The investigation highlights the role of atmospheric conditions in creating anomalous radar returns.
This document is an official report from the 817th Combat Support Group (SAC) at Pease Air Force Base, New Hampshire, dated 15 September 1965, regarding a series of unidentified aerial phenomena observed on the night of 20-21 August 1965. The report, submitted in accordance with AFR 200-2, details observations made by military personnel, including 1st Lt Robert H. Kessler (RAPCON Watch Supervisor), SSgt Richard A. Jennings, and A1C James A. Gray (Control Tower Operators). Witnesses described an irregular, mostly round, white light with occasional red shading, which appeared to move slowly to the north. Radar tracking at RAPCON identified an object moving from seven miles northwest of the base to two miles northeast, which was initially interpreted as a light aircraft. A KC-97 aircraft was vectored to the area but reported nothing unusual. Major Charles D. Plorer, the Base Operations Officer, concluded that the sightings were likely a combination of the Echo Satellite and a light aircraft. He noted that weather conditions, specifically a subsidence inversion between 8500 and 9300 feet, created an environment where anomalous propagation could occur, potentially explaining the radar anomalies. The report includes detailed weather data, including a T-log P diagram, and individual statements from the witnesses involved.
In conclusion, I believe that these sightings were nothing more than the observance of the Echo Satellite by persons who did not recognize it as such.
PDF not loading? Download the PDF directly
Official Assessment
In conclusion, I believe that these sightings were nothing more than the observance of the Echo Satellite by persons who did not recognize it as such. The radar sighting, as previously noted, did not bear out the same track and was undoubtedly a light aircraft on a VFR flight.
The sightings were attributed to the Echo Satellite and a light aircraft. Anomalous propagation due to weather conditions was cited as a factor for the radar returns.
Witnesses
- Gray, James A.A1C16th Comm Sq, Control Tower Operator
- Jennings, Richard A.SSgt16th Comm Sq, Control Tower Operator
- Kessler, Robert H.1st Lt16th Comm Sq, RAPCON Watch Supervisor
Key Persons
- Richard W. WieberSSgt, USAF Weather Forecaster