Declassified UFO / UAP Document
Investigation of Unidentified Flying Object — Fayetteville, Arkansas, 24 August 1965
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AI-Generated Summary
An investigation into a UFO sighting in Fayetteville, Arkansas, identified the object as a homemade 'Flying Saucer Kit' constructed from plastic bags, a battery, and a flashlight bulb. The Air Force concluded the object was likely a prank or amateur meteorological device.
On 24 August 1965, at approximately 0525L, a self-employed asphalt broker in Fayetteville, Arkansas, observed an unidentified object in a field near his residence. The witness reported the sighting to the FAA at Drake Airfield, who subsequently notified Little Rock Air Force Base. The incident received local media coverage in the Northwest Times and on television in Little Rock. An investigation was conducted on 26 and 27 August 1965 by Captain Howard D. Lowrey of the 43rd Bombardment Wing, in accordance with Air Force Manual 200-2. The physical evidence recovered consisted of nine light blue plastic bags, each approximately 36 inches long, bearing a warning label regarding suffocation. The bags were connected by string to a mercury-type battery and a #605 flashlight bulb, with additional pieces of blue, orange, green, and purple cellophane attached. The investigation concluded that the object was likely a 'Do It Yourself Flying Saucer Kit' constructed for a prank or amateur meteorological purposes. Due to the variables of wind, temperature, and gas volume, the launch point could not be determined. The Washington County Sheriff's office and Fayetteville City Police reported no other UFO activity during that period. The report was forwarded to the Foreign Technology Division at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
It is the belief of the investigation officer that the UFO was made by person(s) for a prank or for amateur meteorology observations.
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Official Assessment
It is the belief of the investigation officer that the UFO was made by person(s) for a prank or for amateur meteorology observations.
The object was identified as a 'Do It Yourself Flying Saucer Kit' consisting of plastic bags, a flashlight bulb, battery, and cellophane.
Witnesses
- [illegible]self-employed Asphalt Broker
Key Persons
- Glenn EstesChief of FAA, Drake Airfield