A'riC UO. USAF Pllot:J DA 1'F Irl TO A'l'IC --- r.Izr; roo-250 Dia:... CCJUH!;I' NO. JU W :o~r 1 'l'YPI~ OF on:-F.:CVNl'IOII ttAtn:\M:rcG Hori:ont.a.l Flieht Objeet reaemueld ovorsized p~raehute with large blaek oojeet haneing below iL PWYN"ri ---:JIG~i'Cl[F~j - 'L'I' Ctth.'l'n ry A'l'IG UNCLASStt"\ED HEID~UARTEP..S IDi!T3~ ST:~T:;S JJR FORCS T"t3 l r!SPECTCR GENZ!tU. OFFICE OF SPECIAL INVEST:G.~TimiS ~A.SHINGTON 25, D. C. S~or INTRLUGENCE REPORI' uouu.-nconven ona rcra"VUWNGH:\L\~n AT s Yl~.\t: -n:;RVALS; SPECIAL INQUIRI DECLA->.SIFl:~o P.F'l'~R 12 YEAl~. 1. This report pertains to the sighting or an unidentiriad fiying object, similAr in structure to the so~alled "Flying Discs," b.7 Captain G. B. El7.1ARDS, pilot, Captain THERON C. ~Hffi::VhCH, co-pilot, and 1st Lt. JOHN H. VAN SAl~TEN, passenger, or C-45 type aircraft en routs from Pope Air Force Base, Fort Bragg, North Carolina to Bolling Air Force Base :~!ashington, D. C. 2. Captain G. B. EIJ.1A.ttDS and Captain THE...qQN C. FGHRSVACH \'.~re interviewed on 30 January 1950 in their office, Room lC 1066, National Defense BuiJ ding, Washington, D. C., and gave in substanca tr.e following Wormtlon concerning tl'B incident: a. en Tue sda:r, 24 J a.11.uary 19 ;JJ, lvhile en route from Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina, to Bolling Air Force Base, \1ashington, D.C., in C-45 type aircra!"t t:o. 7122, Captain THEROU C. FZJruV~CH was fi1"3t to notice the unidentified fl.yin5 objset. FEHRZVACH stated that t~ C-45 was pursuing a cours~ or approximat ely 26 at 5,000 ft. ~1hen he fi1"3t noticed the object slightly to the left of the course and about 2,000 ft. higher at a distance or 5 to 10 miles from the C-45. Tte object was aDproxitntely 7,000 rt. just above t~ top of the cloud level which was at. this time approximat e.cy a 5/10 cloud cowrage. It ~as darker than the clouds am easy to distinguish a s not being a cloud. ~"!hgn first noticed the object was pursuing a course between and above two rather large cloud banks, ?rhich were estina tad a s being t"'II miles apart. Th3 object !:loved from the left cloud to the right cloud t~dce and never at any time did the object show any r adius of turn. It moved to a stop and proceeded back a gain -;.i th a fine horizontal moverent, at no ti.r..a acying vertical in an a ssent or descent motion. A.t this ti.!:'.e Captain F'J~ffiVACR showed the unconventionc:U. ci!'cra.f-':. to C:1otain "ZD':7.\..:TIS :;!:o ir:mediately altered his course soD 6 c!eg~ees .:tnc! cli:...Oed :.o 7 ,0CO :t. to be horizontally on the sar~ l e7el as the obj~ct. Tr~ C-45 pu~sued s object at approxirrately 160 miles per hour ~.ith a A> mile t:.il nind. C-45 at no tiers could overtake the object and at all ti.:!'..es it s semed to stay betvteen 5 to 10 miles directly in front ar.d at th9 sa::-e 1~ v~l as C-.4.5. At this tirr.e F~E'S"l..\C!-! i'!.ad ths passeng:r, Lt . Va n s.:l.ilT:E, vi~.r .UNCLASS;F:ED Attar a minute and a half the object 7#13 again sf5hted o.t tre same diatanoe ( 5 -10 miles) at approximatels 35 to 45 degrees to th., right of the course pursued by the C-L.-5. The obJect then came back to a point im::lediatel,1 in front or the C-45. Before assumi n~ tbis course the object seemad to oscillate to the right and left, a distance seeming to be about one or one and a halt distance o! its width. -::hen assno1ng the course it appeared to disappear directly in front of the C-45 by increasin6 its speed until it was invisible. The entire incident too!< pl:lCe in appro:d- mately-15 minutes. Captain FEHaEV.hCH and Captain ED~TAP..DS stated that they had been airborne some 35 or 40 rn1 nutes or approximately 1650 \"'hen they first sighted the object. These two pilot officers further volunteered the folloVIing intcrmation: (1) The object -.as clearer .vhen first noticed than at an;r time during the folloning 15 minutes trot they coald focus on it. The unconventional aircraft ao-Jeared to be he~spherical or spheroid in shape of approximately 200 to 250 ft. in diameter. The object a.ppe.:..red to be flat on the bottom, but this i s further explained that the bottom hal! of tho sphere c ould h:ive been obscured due to a black trail which appeared to follow the ob- ject. This black trail appeared to be 't lTee to four times ~ long as the object v1as in diarr.9ter precipitatin; at tr.e end or ttl! s:noke trail. (1-2~ tinutes precipitation rate) At n=:> tks during the viewing of the object was it possible to d'.!tenn.im the act11al structure. The black trail was very pronounced at the bottom. ~ proclaimsd b7 Captain ED-UffiDS, the object looked liks an oversized ,arachute with a laree black object hanging below it. The s.a:.oke trail would lag behind the object no rr.atter which direction it moved. (2) The 3.tmos?heric conditions wer e as follcrNs: (a) Tl'l! free air temperature :Yas 15 to 18 dagr ees centigrade (b) There ?!as approximately 5/10 c lo:.1d c overa 3e a heaTJ haze tlut l'iU::J pronou.'!csd :..n ths vicinity of the oo-.mtains liest and south of the course pursued by t hs C-45. The sun ".-;.:is ...!.t [l.~Yoroxit~:ately 220 to 230 d~o::-ce3 dlr;ction of tho s:.ln lt to be oaite :io contr3.il or va~o=-trail othar tha. the blo.c~t: smoke 1as ob!e rved. {3) Tha object mainta.in9d a fin! s::.ooth moverrent vnich appeared to be capa.bls of speeds from nothinJ to more than 300 miles per hour. It moved ~d th and ag3.inst the wind at vlill and could not have been mintaken for . a cloud, meteor or celestrio.l planet. Due to the sp!!ed maintainsd b:r the C-1..5 the obj3ct could not have been sor.e sort or aerostatic lift or it would been overtaken. (4) The only tactics or w.ar'l.euvers noticed were horizontal and at one ti~ 03Cillating. (5) In reference to the support the object could have, acr:ord.ing to F:!:HP-3'/.~CH, resembled -.mat pos~ibly th~ B- 35 (the fiyin~ wing) would have looY.ed lH~e f:-o.:-. astern at tr.e sarre distance. (6) It is noted that Co.ptaL"ls E!Y.'f.Lt?.DS and FZH!mVl P. insist that the C-45 was cever at an;; time close enough to determine tha structure, support, propulsion, lights, sou.:.d or actual shape of the object. ( 7) Captain ED:Y.hRDS stG.ted the incident occurred in the ared. c~ Blackstone, V!=ginia, or app:-o:d.mtely 37 3. On 31 J,\"'u.a~r 1950 lst Lt. JC!-}; E. V~J SAND~ '\'Jas interviewed rs.;:J.rdlng his oboe~1at.~n of the uncor.7er:ti o:uu aircraft en 24 January :7.50. :'he intc7._rie.'! took place i!l tte o::i~.a of V.,u; S.Aia ...J:, Roo.:l JB 878, I: a tio.::o.l Defense Building, 'lashir.gtoc., !:\. C. lt 7.-u~ Sii!:~:~J prepar::;C. an 1:.I";.Jig:1ed statement con~erning his obse_vati~ns. ':'~us state.:1ent is in3ert~d as a antter of record into this recort and states as follo-:ts: , a . "On Tuesda.~r, 24 Jaauaey 1950, I returned to 7Tash.ington D.C. froa Ter-porary Duty at Ft Br-cl.gg( Fayetteville North Carolina by catc.hing a trm~ient Air :orca .'.ircr~ft C-L~5) at Popa :'.ir Fo~c 3ase Travellin~ to :3ollin6 J~ i r ?orca 3ase. Aftsr a ppro.J.:im.:.ltely 45 r.dnute s flying ti.:io frorl Pope AFB ~:!lile a.t 5,000 feet altitude and 1645 hours the co- pilot called rey atten- tion to ,,,Jhat at fi st. I assu.T~d to be anottsr aircraft '\'.~iich I could h:lve c::t"l.:ate d to bs L~ .-.:ile s distant. '!'here t.cre no clouds in our i.:..-~C.iate :=5~n, there .-.ere billo~:y ~Jhite clouds. T~1e obj~;ct . as orcr t.c.s::e cloud3. UNCLASSh-lC.U .~t~r .'tilt.: iiQ$ it for sev~ral Qj r.u tas it movad appro;:imatel:r 12 degrees t..:l ~:-.e l~J!t ver'j r:~pidly. Then it se~.ed to be travellir.,& directly a~-o.:l;t troo u.s :Jnci disappeared into the clouis. Sevt!ral. Minutes later ~t. reap~eirtaJ approx.imatel:r 30 degr ees to the right of th9 spot .vhere it iisa; ed, althouoh at a seeQi ngly greater distance a.vay fro.11 us ?hdr\J it stayed a-:1hile ~-~ithout movin6 to eitl:l!r ~ide und then I lost .lit:ht ot it. I did not see it again although I kept a sharp watch ':'Jl:~n t.~e object I:".oved it seemed to wiggle sljg htly although at that dis- t.:..r.c~ it r1as barel$ vi3ible. There .vas no evidence at an7 flame. nr cannot describe it more accurately and will nat venture any ~e3s a 3 to 'r'iha.t it actually was. I would not sav it v;as not anotter =Urcraft of a r.e w type although it see.med much to large at that C.ist:mce for a co.rrrenUonal tyPe aircraft. b. In addi. ti on to t m prepared unsi~ad volunteered the follouing information: statement, Lt. V ;Jf (1) The object could not (!.ave been a cloud, rreteor, celestrial planet or aerostatic lift (2) Esti.mated the distance between the object and the C-45 as 40 mil~s; with altitude of 5 000 ft. and directly horizontal .d th the C-45. ( 3) Estimated the tic-e in sight to have been 15 minutes (4) The appearance of the object wa3 definitely a dark sphere 9haped solid body with no apparent wings, stabilizers or othe!" !reans of support. The distance bet;ieen the objact and the C-45 vas to great to deter- cine tr.e constructica, ,?:"Opulsion or sound. V&~ Si.NTEN 1"KSS quit.e certain tnere -:;cis no smok;, contrail or vapor trail laft by tri! object. (5) Concerning the tactics or maneuvers VAN SAKTZU stated that the object ;;as a fine smooth noving craft which -at all ti::e s saemed to horizontally remain at tb.e sarre altitude and was at one instance noted as oscillatinb, and s definitely evasive ~ that the C-45 could not cve:-ta.:<e it 4. It is noted that i mmadiately after tha in~ident Captain :c::Y7.L"W3 radioed (VHF) Blackstona, Virginia a:1d rrade inquiry of the control tower op.;rator if any report rod bsen .r:a.de of the unidentified aircraft. ~1hen UNCLASSI(-"IED informed that tt&rs ~.ad .b*ll no otl'er reports, and ;;hen queried, ED'JAF.DS indicated that he did not wis1 to report the incident through AACS. 5. In relation to the three officer observers the following in.f'or- mation is offered to aid in evaluating the credibility of their stataments: a. Pilot of C-La-5 aircraft -- Name of Observer -Captain G. B. Edl.-Yards . Address .: 755 Barley ~alk, Falls Church, Va. Occupation -Flying officer Place of Business -Statistical Control, USAF Natioml Defense Building ';1ashir..gton, D.C. Pertinent hobbies -Clai~s flying as a vocation and avocation. ).bility to dete rmL1e -This officer has been flying for s everal ~ars as a Cor.i>at Flying Officer arrl ot her- wise, as such, has been acc ustomed t o conventional modes of aviation, eli matic conditions and normal observations from. t N! air Reliability of observer -The past flying experience l4"1d evidence indicating that t he observer i s not an opportunist or glory hQ~ter substar~iates his reliability. Degree of fa.tigue and dur~tion of night att.ice of sight- ing in cases w~re o~server is airborne. The aircraft had been airborne ap;Jroxi :oa te ly 40 minutes when the obje=t was sighted. ~he turbulence .vas r"i 1 d and the !'lyir..g cor:di tio!ls o;.e~s g~od.. Teare 11as no indication that a~ that tic-a ;J! ci3;T shoulc! the .:b server be suffering from soi'IB ot her f atigue. ( slee pi ness hangover etc. ) b. Co-Pilot of C-4; aircra~t -- (1) Nazr.e of Observer -Captain Theron C. Fehrevach ( 2) Address -Box 770 Lee Boulevard, Falls Church, Va. (J) Occupation: Flying Officer (4) Place of Business -Statistical Control, US.~ P.m lC 1066, Na.tic~al Def::ns~ 3ldg ( 5) Pertinent Hobbies -Flying ( 6 ) Ability t.o de t ermine -This officer has been fi:ring for s e veral years , as a combat flying office r and other:,ise, a s sucl!, _b.as been accustoa:.ed to con;entior:al modes of aviation, clj ':"a tic c ondi tior..:; and normal observ.;.tiona j J ln.:JS J r H:.O .UNCLASSIFIED Reliabiliey ,~ ob~erver -The past nying experience and. evidence l.ndieating that the observer is' not. an opportunist or a &)..ory hunte r substantiatas his relia- Tha degree or fatigue concerning this observer is the same as indicated far Captain ED:7&TIDS in par 5a(8) c. The passenger or C-45 aircraft - Naoe ot Observe r -lst Lt. John H. Van Santen Address: 1211 N. Pitt, Apt 33, JUex.andria, Ya Occupation -Of fie e r Place or BusinesD -Anny Courier Service , Rm lB 878, Uational Defense Bldg., ~'rash., D.C. Pertinent Hobbies -None Ability to det armine -Has flo:m at least one week out of e v&ry month far the past yea:r. Receives non-rated flying pay. Raliabi.llty of observer-Thjs officer is very sincere, conscientious, and. observing degree of fatigue concerning this observer is the same a s iniieated for Captain Eir.7&WS in par 5a(S). 6. Tl'B intervie;-;ed officers appear to be very sincere and n:a:ture. :Sach of them seem to ha.,re h.:l.d enou:;;h flying hours to be amply trained in observation and descript-io~. It is fur""Jls r :1cted tr.at the offtcers, altJlou~ cco;:>e!3.tive 1r. d:.sc'.!ssi:lg the incident., :!~=-~ rathe r reluc tan.t to initiate :ha rsport themselves. This being accredited t o rscent opinion both pro ~d c on by various ~di.d. dt.:..als through po,7-:1 a.r :le\'mpapers and =a.gazinea. Each of 'the r.hree officers, "Rhec queried as to 7ihether or not they had read or ,,er e ~"l.:'lueneed by an a..-r-ticle writte n ':Jy ~Y:O:OE :tbic h appeared 1n the 28 .:ember 1949 issue of Tru., l!agadne, stat:d t.tat they did nat rea d the a:tic.le nor were they i nfiuenced by the publi c opinion or the article ~cial Agent, lJ3AF U~lCLASStFI~D