Part / Copy//:/L.of 34 NEW ZEALAND DEFENCE FORCE UNIDENTIFIED File Number: AIR 39/3/3 Volume 2 - Parts 1 and 2 File Title: Reports of UFOs File Timespan: Opened: 1956 - Closed 1979 File Declassified: September 2010 Location of Original File: Held at Archives New Zealand Access to Original File: Restricted until 2049 personnel. investigation Australian Department Correspondence information researchers. NEW ZEALAND DEFENCE FORCE PUBLIC RELEASE OF UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS (UFO) FILES These copied and redacted files of correspondence on Unidentified Flying Objects dating from 1952 to 2009 have been Declassified and released to the public by the New Zealand Defence Force under the Official Information Act. Access to the original files held by Archives New Zealand is restricted up until the year 2050 for Personal Privacy reasons. These copied files have had the personal details of members of the public making UFO reports removed to preserve their privacy. . Personal details of service personnel and civilians employed by the New Zealand Defence Force and other Government Departments and Agencies have not been removed. No other information has been removed or omitted from these files. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF FILES Correspondence on Flying Saucers began in New Zealand Defence Force files in 1952 and continued under different names, Unidentified Flying Objects (UFO) and Unidentified Aerial Sightings (UAS) until the present. The files contain reports of sightings by private individuals and military personnel, investigations by Defence and other Government Departments and agencies into these reports, newspaper clippings on UFOs and letters from individuals who claim to be in touch with alien beings and craft. While the files are in general date order from 1952 until the present some file periods overlap with one another and the documents within each file are not necessarily in strict date order. There can be duplicate documents within each file and copies of the same documents (particularly media releases and reports) can appear in different files. ACCESS TO UFO FILES These redacted files are available in hard copy from the Defence Library c/o Headquarters New Zealand Defence Force Aitken St Wellington. They are not available In electronic format. /^F^Z>ATrx Sub-Series Appropriate appropriate LOCATION FRB AA/MUB^ A No NZ Documents on File Classified NZ Documents Cleared for Access No Classified NZ Documents on File No Foreign Source Documents on File Some Foreign or Special-Source Documents placed on restricted Parallel File Some NZ (Non-NZDF) Documents placed on Restricted Parallel File Some I All Foreign Source Documents or I j Cleared for Access ^ JSrelt ase on 1 January in the Year ^ R^lew again before the Year I^COMMENTS _Ce:>^J^KX 00 Z ettmgCo ^lenced ^LJ3JJ0_ S 5i3 S ^fSJjO^ Vetting Completed JLJJin_ Te Rua Mahara o te Kawanatanga i h 1 aRCHives NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT LOANS SERVICE PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE THIS SHEET This item is part of the holdings of Archives New Zealand, and is a PUBLIC ARCHIVE on TEMPORARY LOAN to vour office. Prodiiction: 2010 o Zz Accession: PLEASE TREAT THIS ITEM WITH CARE: Do not remove any item from this file Do not add any item to this file Do not write on or erase anything from this file Do not flag, label, or otherwise damage this file PLEASE RETURN WITHIN THREE (3) MONTHS TO Government Loans Service Archives New Zealand Head Office Ground Floor Reception, 1 0 Mulgraye Street WELLINGTON OR ASK FOR AN EXTENSION Email: government.
[email protected] FILE RELEASE STATEMENT VETTING COMPLETED AND: ^MNoTlassified documents on file. documents have been declassified Other comments: Signed Date. For Headquarters New Zealand Defence Force Classified Departments declassifying department. AIR STAFF. DEFENCE HEADQUARTERS, WELLINGTON. Alem 'urn from DEPUTY CHIEF OF AIR STAFF Oroyi^on Park, 5OCB S.A. Auatral ia. To whom it may concern, international ent^uiries: indirectly. sightings. assistance investigations. fours Sincerely, KESTRICTED RIIMUTE NO 4/1979 Air Staff REPORT ON UNIDENTIFIABLE VISUAL AND RADAR SIGHTINGS EAST COAST SOUTH ISIAND l DECEMBER 1978 As a consequencG of initial adverse media comment about Defence*s response to news of the alleged presence of UrO*s off the east coast of the South Island on two evenings in December, my staff undertook a study of the reported events, and prepared 2, As you know we have traditionally adopted a *low profile* interest in reported UEO sightings, and until 22 December last had no special arrangements for responding to them. Thus, my staff, (and subsequently myself) were not informed of the reported sightings on the night of 2l/22 December, until 1030 hours on 22 3, At that time, and only because the sightings were observe! by more than one SAFE Argosy crew on several occasions, visually am on their aircraft radar, and by Wellington Radar, I agreed that should similar circumstances be reported again, the RNZAF would attempt to put an Orion into the area to accurately observe and report on unusual visual, electronic or meteorological phenomena. 1 CADnOT were informed of the intent, and they arranged for the Air 1 Staff duty officer to be immediately advised of any future sighting! 4, In the event, the occurrences of 2l/22 December were similarly repeated on the night of 30/Sl December, but because of ; an administrative fault, the Wellington radar operators were not aware of the Air Staff request to be informed. My staff first became aware of the reported sightings of 30/31 December on the radio news next day; an opportunity to observe the phenomena was 5, After the second sightings, and in response to an increasingly negative news media coverage, my staff arranged to launch an Orion aircraft on the night of 2/3 Oanuary; the purpose of the flight was to allay media charges this Ministry was acting irresponsibly, and to see whether any light could be thrown on the reported sightings using the Orion^s disciplined crew and electronic equipments. The sortie accomplished the first objective and drew favourable media comment, but added little to our knowledge of the reasons for the purported UFO sightings. The Orion captain reached the conclusion that the Oapanese squid fleet, associated with the early morning rise of Venus were leading clues. /6, Because RESTRICTED interest in uhat went on (he spoke with OCAS twice), and specially asked he be informed of Defence*s conclusions to the study it was undertaking, I believe he would wish to see a copy of the Air Staff report. V. The Air Staff reporting officer has interviewed the principal persons involved in the purported UFO sightings, collaborated with CADMOT, the DSIR and the Meteorological Service. I consider his conclusions are valid considering the circumstances. Not surprisingly they are similar to investigation saucer-like in 1947 which proved to be mirages caused by a temperature inversion. 8. Mr M, Collins of the DSIR has prepared a Departmental report on the findings of several scientific studies undertaken, and which is to be submitted to the Minister of Science in the near future. The attached report takes account of the findings of the DSIR investigations, copies of which are held in Air 9. For the reasons given at para 6 I attach copies of the Air Staff report for onforwarding to the Minister of Defence and the Prime Minister. DPR plans to issue a PR statement next (C.L. SIEGFRT) Enclosure; Copies of Air Staff report. restricted 31 January 1979 Mi? D,W, Mitchell 5/36 Rickahy Street Croydon Park 5008 South Australia Dear Sir, Thank you for your letter to the Coisinanding Officer of RNZAF Base Woodhourne concerning information on the recent UFO sightings. The questions you ask in that letter are similar to 0?ransport Yours faithfully, (C.V^COLE) Squadron Leader i i?X?ZAi Public Relations Officer r RNZAF UFO SIGHTING REPORT The unidentified radar and visual sightings reported by aircraft and recently, are the result of natural but unusual atmospheric phenomena.,.^') This is the conclusion arrived at in the Air Forces just completed investigation into the sightings. conclusions, investigating interviewed Department Scientific Industrial Transport, Meteorological His report reveals that during the months of December and early ft) atmospheric conditions bright in appearance. (9 Wellington Wellington Peninsula, 200i;kilowatts discounted sightings. investigating speculates travelling atmospheric reflections fractions, completely unexplained sightings. atmospheric reflection, refraction distortion. -gnificant freighter, Christchurch specifically responsibility investigating unidentified peacetime. limitations resources, investigations necessary. Commenting speculation defenceless comprising sophisticated interceptor expenditure jphisticated equipments justified. comprehensive possibility particularly suggested, categorically suggestion potentially unfriendly Regional Director Regional Office Ministry of Transport Upper Willis Street WELLII^GTOR' CORRESPOKPEISCB faithfully^ (C.D. COLE) Squadron Leader RESTRICTECr niMUTE NO 4/1979 Air Staff REPORT OM UNIDEIMTIFIABLE VISUAL AIMD RADAR SIGHTIIMGS EAST COAST SOUTH ISLAIMD : DECEMBER 1978 I0 As a consequence of initial adverse media comment about Defence*s response to neus of the alleged presence of UF0*s off the east coast of the South Island on two evenings in December, my staff undertook a study of the reported events, and prepared a report for mso 2. As you know ue have traditionally adopted a *lou profile^ interest in reported UFO sightings, and until 22 December last had no special arrangements for responding to them. Thus, my staff, (and subsequently myaelf) were not informed of the reported sightings on the night of 2l/22 December, until 1030 hours on 22 December . 3. At that time, and only because the sightings uere observed by more than one SAFE Argosy creu on several occasions, visually and on their aircraft radar, and by Wellington Radar, I agreed that should similar circumstances be reported again, the RNZAF uould attempt to put an Orion into the area to accurately observe and report on unusual visual, electronic or meteorological phenomena, CADFIOT uere informed of the intent, and they arranged for the Air Staff duty officer to be immediately advised of any future sightings. 4. In the event, the occurrences of 2l/22 December uere similarly repeated on the night of 30/31 December, but because of an administrative fault, the Wellington radar operators uere not auare of the Air Staff request to be informed. fly staff first became auare of the reported sightings of 30/31 December on the radio neus next d