uNCL' SSlF\r:D lnoidt;Jnt u2. 2fl -- .1he cojcct' 3l<Y-"' speJd a.n.d a:>pure:-.. t sizo su--os~ nir o ra: t INYESTlCATIO:"( .l!ADE .\.T Com-ROLLINC OFFICE .:-..-!~-;el'eA:.iel -'T" Ift-P.4,-- .;;\ to Jr~l.---~1.-"Jl u. RE.\SO:"r FOR l)TVESTIGATION: D5'.t'UBUTION S-r.\.TUs o F c.AsE .... nJin~ !;r7'es-t!.~a.t1on initiated r,.,ques~ H" l!"' 2 . Tirno Appl 'o.X"lilia ta13' noon 3 . Locoi.ion l~Ul'Cv b.rl.&if Ai..r Fiold, ~ .. urco, C~)j .l'vrnla. h. i!umo of ob::;-:-r vl")r Col. 0il k:ey to Capt BUick 7 . P1uco of obs0r vr.t ion Ground 8 . Numbor of o bjncts oue (~) 9 . Dintonco of ob~jnct f rom obso r vo r not. atated 10 . T illo in s if;ht n.J t stated 11. rt1ti-tudo not stated 12 . Spcod not; sta t,ed 1) . Direction of flir;ht not stated r QcticsTha object Col GiL~ey paper and o:f no signifi~nce saH ~a statd he b~liaved at the tha +..o or ths object not i:lportant, enough t.o b e reo- SuU~lD not stated 16. Sizo not Btated 17. Color not stat:.ed 18 . She po not stated Odor dotocto d not stated 21. E;:huust t r ils not stated 1iioathor conditions not stated Effect on clouds not statad Sk nhls o r photo;r a ph s Ho.nne r of disnppvar anco :1ot stated 26 . Rono.r k s : The follolring i3 a st.ltement g i,en orally by Col.)nel :.1ilk3y to C-aptain Harry D. Black, Intelli~ence officer on ll .AUO'\.l.st 1947. 3 . Locotion Luroc Army Air Fleld, t:uroc, Califorl"l.Lt. h. ~TumJ of ob~c rv1r ~a jor Rich3rd R. Shoo;> 5 . Occupc.tion of ob~orvor Bmployed in Office of Chief of' Tech. ln~in~ring DL1 f,_a jor - 6 . ;~.ddrus::; of obsurvor 1:uroc Arii\Y" Air Field, ~.!uro0, Callfl)rr...i.a. 7 . Ploco of' obsvrv-r. t.i.on Ground 0. Uumbo r of objects One (l) 9 . Distonco of object f ron obsorvo r Five (5) t(> ei;:,t (6) m.i.l!?s 10 . Tirr1o in s i[;ht Eight ( 5) minutes 11. Altitude fairly higl-J. altitude 12. Speed s l owly Direction of fli[;ht :~rth The object Doved from a:-1 interrnedi:.lte altit;1ds in an o.Jcillati.n~ Tuc:tics fashio'1, al"":lost to the snrfuce of the ground a:1d t he! st:lrtec c 1 j r.1bing again. Soun:d not stated 16. Siz() purs11i t airplane 17.. Coler alu.mi.Ylu..rn colored s urface unconv0:1ti ona 1 s ha ne Odor dotoctJ d not stated A '2PO r ent co:1s ~ r ucti on a~Farently metallic E}.houst t rC\ils not stated 22. l.ifoa thor conditions not stated st...3t ed 25. !I::lnr..o r of disappu3rr.ncc moved off slo"".7ly in th~ dist:r:1.ce 26. Rcmurks: At appro;{~'!lately noon on S Ju l 1947, : . .ajor !:>hoo:_:J3_, at t!13 att;:1tio:1 of Co:!.. Gilk~.Y.obs ned.five .C5~ to 8i.;;Lt (t>) ::ri..l~3 tot;"~; ~0:-.1.:, Hb .. :rc, ap,eared to b8 a vhln r.:.a~..RllJ..C Ob.)~Cv11 it a ,~3red to b~ ;:.:~::.:llli': !!'.1.t\rQT.;AR~RS AIR W....ATHER SERVICE .l.ndre., Air Foro Ba3~, Waeh- T:>: Co:1roa1:ding Goneral, Air 2Jater1ctl CowAr~d. flri~ht-P'dtter!on ~i~ Force ila~ , Dayton, Ohto In'l'~:;ti~ntions by this headLiuartors re"VOf\1 tJ.nt e. s;;noptic ''.n,, t r ,J r ba.lloon could have beer. at t he locati o n hor~ s ) ~':ting.s vrn~.J r..,por~.,d in' t:Pe fol l0"11nc; ire ldents. In co:npil1ng t hia l i<s~.; oonsidera t :.on wa s given to th~ vind dir~H~t. ton n.nd . t)tHtd s.t . 3;h~ surfa.o nnd aloft at th~ achadul~d .;iroo of b alloon raleti.oe, and t'htt lo('ation or th.e neareei; 'featrrer Btation rr'tt.k\ . '\g balloon ob .3er- r'JR '!'HE CHIE11 AIR YTEATEER SE!{VICS 2 Jn()lts.: A!i jut~ n t G"'3 no .c-a 1 y;ith lJL -t iC:cnts thu s el.L.."1i.'1atcd, t..:1ere er:!r'li."1 thlrtv-four -;rhi.:h coc1:.:\L"1 sane de~ce but h:-1 VP. no app!irent r ~ expL'l:kl t ion . This Dt\tcnent is tr.e onl~' under the assunptic:1 th "lt t\1c cvirc:1co is accepted a::; reliable a.1<.. ac ... ur;}te. Hhen psycholo~ic.:1l and pr.: .. ~io locic.q.l f3.ctors aro ta.~en ~1to cut5iccration, nll of t :1esc i.ncic:cnts cnn be expl.:lined r:ttion.all:,,., as pol;~ t ... cd out by iL"-T1t~ Corpomtiun -u'd r-r. Fitts of Air ~r\tcrlcl Cor:c..."l.nd A.cro-J.:edical ~'l~Or:'lto~r (::tee AppcnciL~es and ncn). . Alr l.la.torie 1 Co~!nand t\ero-'~edical Labor!\ tory (Dr. P&.ul -Fitts - 212 Inoidects oonaiderod) There arH suffic ient pnycholo~;ical explur.D.tlon~ for tr.a ro~)orts of unidentified flyir.~ objects to provide pla~sible oxpl~r~tion3 fo~ re- porta not othent1Je e:.tpltlina.ble. fhese e>rrors in ido:r:tifyir.~ rea l stimuli rosult ohiefly free ir...9.btlity to estir.1ata spe~d distar:ce, a~ All of the remaining 34 incider.ts are tre~tod ir. detail i n this repl')rt. Thene incidents f o ri:\ no pattt.!rn ir. r e:,u!'"d to area of s i -r.tLT!~";. type of o~jnct, o r no.r.ner of pnr:orrJ!l.~C(). There a r'J i.r;.dici\tior:s. r.o?f- OVdr, th~t soal 3ip,ht1n:~s woro ir.fluencod by earlivr reports, and proht.1bly v:oul tl not hnve boen colsid~red unuaual or r.:>portcd .h:).d t!~are been no publicity. The r e :;-Vllni.rl G ,mcxpl3L~ed.incident:; (De~ 1\ppcruti.x I") e:.(:lioitod fe""'( co::a~on c~,a~ct~ristics. 'f\ro of themJ b:' stn te;;c..~ tf) of t :te rcporter:::s, would not r.ave been ~"l.r:e ! d t:.e m.t:tesses r..ot r cac of tl:c ~ t. Ra:lie.r incident, { T:1c1. dent :; o. 17). !.'ost 1'fere c!istrib,_,tcd vrithout o~tte~ tt-. r c u!;!lou t.. t i te 1rr-~i t o rl States. A. few 1;era outs;_.-c t~ ~ t:. : . :r o t'YTO e::Jcriptions of .f\rpe:'lr..,'!cc or perforr!ll11cc :~ere e-.J.ctl:r al Lr:e.. 7' e re- ported sieht.ltlp:s occurred at v~rio1..:.s "':.i~os of Ca7' and ven.r. ,\PPSrnrx ! Incidc!tt ;;o. 1 ~July 191~7, C9)0 hours 1oco.l, l:uroc Air F orce i.Jase. Four ,r.Lt:-ic cs, e1rr Sscrvotl t,r.:> ~ilv-~r disc lil:c. or s:)h2rictll obj~cts a~:ain~t a clear briGht sky .. 11 .ritnwsGes es Lii tat~J t .. c aJ uue n:t. abut:t CJOO f'e,_ t, a.' the :..;,;'-.!ec.l bet~,-l:en . and 4!X; !:"'ti. It is !Jo:;s "ulc to c..;"LL:1.3.t,c ui:;tailce and Sl)C~d o.f.' ~n o~jcct TTi.t:1 a fai~ ... dc~t:e of acc;.1racy if t :tc ~.i~e is :~no;~n .. .l~lo distaace is judzcd on tl1e l::nJ;tn :.;ize nn.<.l s: J on ..1a e~vL-:l..:ltc of c.ii3t.:t."1ce, plus anl:uJ or chance in :=-Josi t.ion (see i=Al.t;c app. G) In t : J.s i1.c::..dt:nt t i w size could not bo 1~rh.r.=.n, o;.-in~ to t.'"lc fact t ilat. the o'.)jcct ,.~ not identiilcd. The t:i.Juc in sidlt 2...""!.d an_;ular dist.:l!'l.ce traveled =v;erc n o t Gi "0ll. Ha=.iever, the first -;ritacs~ stat-.;d he s.ichwd t!1e o~jccts at. Qt);CJ, a;ld "'vhe la.:;t witrttJzs said he \ras ~llcd to vit..!.; the object~ at l0JU. 1J...me in siJ1t io t;~crefore a:J..Ju::ed to oo at l ca3t ono-hal.f h o,J..r. The o!Jjec~s r~;>ortc,.'ly trav~lcd i :1 n. straight lillc. l'aki~lG t e ::l~OJl rc,L>ortt; d speed ( J::(} EHO, tne obj~::cts r.1u:.;t then have t r3.ve le<.l 175 l il-11 nhilc in ~.1 iV t . If the objecto \TCre o~ ~uch proportions as to be nncn at th.::t dis t.:-~.:1cc, it i~ bel.il!V"Cd that mo::-e dw t.a Ll!.i coul.Ll :1a.ve been observed a t tbc fir::;t s L Ltint.:. J:\to adJitionn) rcro:kalJle a::;pects of this ca:;e 1 . A f o w tUC1'P.onts previo\15 to the Gi[ )1tln~, t h e first 'ft<.l3 engaged in C<.JnV~rsation. Woting t~e ~ritlle~!J, "!.tf part Ct:>nv-=crsation w :l..!J a3 follow!;: 'Someone -.=;ill h~"l.'l ~ t .. o :.;how me those di3C!l befo r e I -.Jill believ e it. 2... The sL t.cf"'.cnts of the t:tree other YrttncS!J'eS 7rere : ede to the fir5t ritnc~s.. All t hree agree al:lost itlcutic.'Llly wit h the fir~t" It l s Pl"obable, t' le r e f or o , that their evidence .. n s influenced by rruggesticn. .A.:iG Opini on: 'rhiu r eport is a result of nisint.:!rprctatio..'1 of the nature o1 real 'sEL"J:U.l, probably roscarch oolloons. J.r.o idl3nt o~corvc..! C lr C IJ llal i ! on.ia it~-:ident t.:..lst ~c judr;od .;i+:n rvf'='rJn-:~ to oct.c ~ Inoi<!ent j(-80 Vir..;inia .r.rlin~on, There is !lothir..~ in the dosoriftion of this incident that contradicts a.."'l. oxplo..nation. of the ~bjeot as a. slow-!:":.oving. bri;_:ht r:etoor. Slow-I:~vin~ ~atcor~ ~re concrnlly obse od boforo