Declassified UFO / UAP Document
UFO Observation, 9 October 1967 — Tucson, Arizona
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AI-Generated Summary
An investigation into a 1967 UFO sighting in Tucson, Arizona, concluded that the reported landing and physical impressions were a hoax. The Air Force determined the impressions were man-made and attributed the report to the witness's imagination.
This document details the investigation of a UFO sighting reported by a junior high school student, Charles Easter, in Tucson, Arizona, on October 9, 1967. The witness described a metallic, upright cylindrical object, approximately 4 feet wide and 8 feet high, standing on two stilted legs. He reported that the object made a humming sound similar to an electric transformer and ascended vertically while moving from side to side. Following the sighting, the witness reported impressions in the sand at the site. The Air Force's Foreign Technology Division (FTD) requested an analysis of the site, photographs, and soil samples from the Ohio River Division Laboratories. The laboratory analysis concluded that the impressions were not caused by static or dynamic loading from a heavy object, but rather by a rotational digging action, likely performed by a person. The laboratory successfully replicated the impressions using a steel plate and manual labor. Furthermore, the investigation noted that the witness's father had contacted Dr. James McDonald, a known UFO investigator, shortly after the sighting. The Air Force concluded that the incident was a hoax, attributing the report to the witness's vivid imagination and the influence of a recent speech on UFOs delivered by Dr. McDonald in Tucson. The correspondence between the various military divisions and the laboratory confirms the final determination that the landing was not authentic.
The soil samples and photographs that you sent to us were forwarded to the Ohio River Division Laboratories at Cincinnati, Ohio, for their comments. As you can see by reading the attached report, they show that the "landing" is almost undoubtedly a hoax.
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Official Assessment
The report is almost undoubtedly a hoax.
The depressions were determined to be man-made, likely by a single individual, as they could be replicated by rotating a flat plate in loose sand. The witness's reliability was questioned due to the influence of Dr. James McDonald's recent speech on UFOs.
Witnesses
- Charles EasterStudent, Junior High School
Key Persons
- Dr. James McDonaldUniversity of Arizona Institute of Atmospheric Physics, UFO investigator