General Accounting Office S Schiff

UnitedStates GeneralAccountingOffice Washington,D.C. NationalSecurityand InternationalAffairsDivision TheHonorableStevenH.Schiff HouseofRepresentatives Mr.Schiff: theRoswellArmyAirField(RAAF)publicinformation inRoswell,NewMexico,reportedthecrashandrecoveryofa "flying disc."Army AirForcespersonnelfromtheRAAF's509thBomb Groupwerecreditedwiththerecovery.Thefollowingday,thepress reportedthattheCommandingGeneralof the U.S.EighthAirForce,Fort Worth,Texas,announcedthatRAAFpersonnelhadrecoveredacrashed radar-tracking(weather)balloon,nota "flyingdisc." Afternearly 50years,speculationcontinues onwhatcrashedatRoswell. Someobserversbelieve thattheobjectwasofextraterrestrialorigin.Inthe July1994ReportofAirForceResearchRegardingtheRoswellIncident, theAirForcedidnotdisputethatsomethinghappenednearRoswell,but reportedthatthemostlikelysourceofthewreckagewasfroma balloon-launchedclassifiedgovernment projectdesignedtodeterminethe stateofSovietnuclearweaponsresearch.Thedebateonwhatcrashedat Roswellcontinues. thattheDepartmentofDefense(DOD)maynothaveprovided you with allavailableinformationonthecrash,youaskedustodetermine therequirementsforreportingairaccidentssimilartothecrashnear RoswellandidentifyanygovernmentrecordsconcerningtheRoswell Weconducted anextensivesearchforgovernmentrecordsrelatedto the crashnearRoswell.Weexamineda widerangeofclassifiedand unclassifieddocumentsdatingfromJuly1947throughthe19505.These recordscarnefromnumerousorganizationsinNewMexicoandelsewhere throughoutDODaswellastheFederalBureauofInvestigation(FB!),the CentralIntelligenceAgency(CIA),andtheNationalSecurityCouncil.The fullscopeandmethodologyofourworkaredetailedattheendofthis GAOf.\lSL\D-95-187GovernmentRecords ResultsinBrief In 1947,Armyregulationsrequiredthatairaccidentreportsbemaintained permanently.WeidentifiedfourairaccidentsreportedbytheArmyAir Forcesin NewMexicoduringJuly1947. Alloftheaccidentsinvolved militaryaircraftandoccurredafterJuly8,1947-thedatetheRAAFpublic informationofficefirstreported thecrashandrecoveryofa "flyingdisc" nearRoswell.TheNa....-yreportednoairaccidentsin NewMexicoduring AirForceofficialstold usthataccordingtorecord-keeping requirementsineffectduringJuly 1947, therewasnorequirementto prepareareportonthecrashofaweatherballoon. oursearchforrecordsconcerningtheRoswellcrash,welearnedthat somegovernmentrecordscoveringRAAFactivitieshadbeendestroyedand othershadnotForexample,RA.o\Fadministrativerecords(fromMar. 1945 throughDec. 1949) andRAAFoutgoingmessages(fromOct. 1946through Dec. 1949)weredestroyed.Thedocumentdispositionformdoesnot indicatewhatorganizationorpersondestroyedtherecordsandwhenor underwhatauthoritytherecordsweredestroyed. OursearchforgovernmentrecordsconcerningtheRoswellcrashyielded tworecords.originatingin1947-aJuly1947historyreportbythe combined509thBombGroupandRA.:\FandanFBIteletypemessagedated July8,1947.The509th-RA..t.Freportnotedtherecoveryofa "flyingdisc" thatwaslaterdeterminedbymilitaryofficialstobea radar-tracking balloon.The FBImessagestatedthatthemilitaryhadreportedthatan objectresemblinga high-altitudeweatherballoonwitharadarreflector hadbeenrecoverednearRoswelL Theothergovernmentrecordswere....iewed,includingthosepreviously withheldfrom thepublicbecauseofsecurityclassification,andtheAir Force'sanalysisofunidentifiedflyingobject'sightingsfrom1946to1953 (ProjectBlue BookSpecialReportNo. 14), didnotmentionthecrashor therecoveryofanairborneobjectnearRoswellinJuly1947.Similarly, branchagencies'responsestoourlettersofinquiryproducedno othergovernmentrecordson theRoswellcrash. Accordingto pressaccountsfromJuly1947,ArmyAirForcespersonnel fromRA..t.Fwereinvolvedin therecoveryofanairborneobjectnear Roswell.Therefore,ifanairaccidentreportwasprepared,itshouldhave IAccordingtoAirForceregulation,anunidentifiedflyingobjectlsanairborneobjectthatby performance.aerodynamiccharactensdcs,orunusualfeatures.doesnotconformtoknownairc~or missiles. or does notcorrespondto .-\ifForeedefinitionsoffamiiiarorknownobjectsorunidentlIled GAOflliSL-\D.95.187GovernmentRecords SearchforRecords beenpreparedinaccordancewithArmyregulations.Accordingto an Armyrecordsmanagementofficial, in 1947 Armyregulationsrequired airaccidentreportsbemaintainedpermanently,AnAirForceofficialsaid therewas nosimilarrequirementto reportaweatherballooncrash. Accordingto an AirForceofficial whohasworkedintherecords managementfieldsincethe mid-1940s,airaccidentreportspreparedin July 1947underArmyregulationsshouldhave beentransferredtoAir ForcecustodyinSeptember1947,whentheAirForcewasestablishedas a separateservice. AirForceSafetyAgencyisresponsibleformaintainingreportsofair accidents.Weexamineditsmicrofilmrecordstodeterminewhetherany airaccidentshadbeenreportedin New MexicoduringJuly1947. We identifiedfour airaccidentsduringthistimeperiod.fAlloftheaccidents involvedmilitaryfighterorcargoaircraftandoccurredafterJuly8, 1947-thedatetheRAAFpublicInformationofficefirstreportedthecrash andrecoveryofa "flying disc"nearRoswell.AccordingtotheArmyAir Forces'Report ofMajorAccident,thesefouraccidentsoccurredatornear thetownsofRobbs,Albuquerque,Carrizozo,andAlamogordo,New Mexico. Onlyoneofthefouraccidentsresultedin afatality.Thepilotdied whentheaircraftcrashedduringanattemptedtake-off. Insearchingforgovernmentrecordson theRoswellcrash,wewere particularlyinterestedinidentifyingandreviewingrecordsofmilitary unitsassignedtoR..\AFin1947-toincludethe509thBombGroup,the 1stAirTransportUnit, the 427th ArmyAirForceBaseCnit,andthe MilitaryPoliceCompany(Aviation). DocumentdispositionformsobtainedfromtheNationalPersonnel RecordsCenter inSt,Louis,Missouri,indicatethatin1953,theWalkerAir ForceBase(formerlyRAAF)recordsofficertransferredtotheArmy's KansasCitYrecordsdepositorythehistoriesofunitsstationedatWalker AirForceBase.Thesehistoriesincludedthe509thBombGroupandR. forFebruary1947throughOctober1947;the1stAirTransportUnitfor July 1946through June1947;andthe427th Army AirForceBaseUnitfor 1946toFebruary1947. Wecouldnotlocateanydocumentation indicatingthatrecordsofthe 1395thMilitarYPoliceCompany(Aviation) :!Theserecordsdo not includeinformationregardingmishapsofairvehiclesl>e!ongingtocj..ilianor othergovernmentagencies.Theserecordsalso do not includemishapsInvolvingunmannedair vehiclessuchasremotely pilotedairc:"3!t.lowsp~dcruisemissiles.andmos.balloons. GAO/'l;"SlAD-95-1S7GovernmentRecords wereeverretiredtotheNationalPersonnelRecordsCenterorits predecessordepositories. TheJuly1947 historyforthe509thBombGroupandRAAFstatedthatthe R.~-\Fpublicinformationoffice"waskeptquitebusy...answeringinquiries the'flyingdisc,'whichwasreportedtobein[the]possessionofthe 509thBombGroup.Theobjectturnedouttobearadartrackingballoon." Byhissignature,theRAAF'Scommandingofficercertifiedthatthereport representedacompleteandaccurateaccountofRAAFactivitiesin July1947.(Excerptsfromthereportarecontainedinapp.1.) Inadditiontounithistoryreports,wealsosearchedforothergovernment recordsontheRoswellcrash.Inthisregard,theChiefArchivistforthe NationalPersonnelRecordsCenterprovideduswithdocumentation indicatingthat(1)RAAFrecordssuchasfinanceandaccounting,supplies, andgrounds,andothergeneraladministrativemattersfrom March1945throughDecember1949and(2)RAMoutgoingmessagesfrom October1946throughDecember1949weredestroyed.Accordingtothis official, thedocumentdispositionformdidnotproperlyindicatethe authorityunderwhichthedisposalactionwastaken.TheCenter'sChief Archiviststatedthatfrom hispersonalexperience,manyoftheAirForce organizationalrecordscoveringthistimeperiodweredestroyedwithout enteringa citationforthegoverningdispositionauthority.Ourreviewof recordscontrolformsshowingthedestructionofother records-includingoutgoingR.~-\Fmessagesfor195O--supportstheChief Archivist's DuringourreviewofrecordsatFBIheadquarters,wefoundaJuly8, 1947, teletypemessagefromtheFBIofficeinDallas,Texas,toFBIheadquarters andtheFBIofficeinCincinnati,Ohio.AnFBIspokespersonconfirmedthe authenticityofthemessage. Accordingtothemessage,anEighthAirForceheadquartersofficialhad telephonicallyinformedtheFBI'SDallasofficeoftherecoverynearRoswell ofa hexagonal-shapeddiscsuspendedfromalargeballoonbycable.The messagefurther statedthatthediscandballoonwerebeingsenttoWright Field(nowWright-Patterson AirForceBase,Ohio)forexamination. AccordingtotheEighthAirForceofficial,therecoveredobjectresembled a high-altitudeweatherballoonwitharadarreflector.Themessagestated thatnofurtherinvestigationbytheFBIwasbeingconducted.(Acopyof theteletypemessageappearsin app.II.) GAOINSIAD-95-187Go,,-enunentRecords To follow up ontheJuly8thmessage,wereviewedmicrofilmabstractsof theFBIDallasandCincinnatiofficeactivitiesforJuly1947.Anabstract preparedby theFBIDallasofficeon July 12,1947,summarizedthe particularsoftheJuly8thmessage.Therewasnomentionin the Cincinnatiofficeabstractsofthecrashorrecoveryofanairborneobject nearRoswell. Becausethe FBImessagereportedthatdebrisfrom theRoswellcrashwas beingtransportedtoWrightFieldforexamination,weattemptedto determinewhethermilitaryregulationsexistedforhandlingsuchdebris. Wewereunable tolocateanyapplicableregulation.Asa finalstep,we AirMaterielCommand(Wright Field)recordsfrom 1947to1950 forevidenceof commandpersonnelinvolvementinthismatter.We found norecordsmentioning theRoswellcrashor theexaminationbyAir MaterielCommandpersonnelofanydebrisrecoveredfrom thecrash. QueriestoFederalWesentletterstoseveralfederalagenciesasking for anygovernment .recordstheymighthaveconcerningthe Roswellcrash.Inthisregard,we AgenciesRegardingcontactedDOD,theNationalSecurityCouncil,theWhiteHouseOffice of RecordsontheCrash~ScienceandTechnologyPolicy,theCIA,theFBI,andtheDepartmentof TheNationalSecurityCouncil, the\VhiteHouse Office ofScienceand TechnologyPolicy,andtheDepartmentof Energyrespondedthattheyhad nogovernment recordsrelatingtothe Roswellcrash.(Copiesoftheir responsesappearinapp.ill,IV,andV.)TheFBI,DOD,andtheCL~provided thefollowinginformation, FederalBureauof Investigation Department TheFBIinformedusthatallFBIdataregardingthecrashnearRoswellhad beenprocessedunderFreedomofInformationAct(FOL~)requests previouslyreceivedby theBureau.Wereviewed theFBI'sFOIAmaterialand identified theJuly8, 1947,FBIteletypemessagediscussingtherecovery nearRoswell of ahigh-altitudeweatherballoonwitharadarreflector. oftheFBI'Sresponseappearsin app.\'1.) DODinformedusthatthe U.S.AirForcereportofJuly1994,entitledReport ofAirForceResearchRegardingthe RoswellIncident,representsthe extentofDODrecordsorinformationconcerningtheRoswellcrash.The AirForcereportconcludedthattherewas nodisputethatsomething Page5GAOr.-;SIAD951S7GovernmentRecords CentralIntelligence AgencyComments Methodology happenednearRoswellin July1947andthatallavailableofficialmaterials indicatedthemostlikelysourceof thewreckagerecoveredwasoneofthe projectMOGULballoontrains. Atthetime oftheRoswellcrash,project MOGULwas a highly classified U.S.efforttodeterminethestateofSoviet nuclearweaponsresearchusingballoons thatcarriedradarreflectorsand acousticsensors,(A copy ofDOD'Sresponseappearsinapp.VII.) InMarch 1995,theCIA'SExecutiveDirectorrespondedtoourletterof inquirybystatingthatearliersearchesbytheCIAforrecordson unidentifiedflyingobjectsproducednoinformationpertainingtothe Roswellcrash. TheExecutiveDirectoradded,however,thatitwasunclear whetherthecuhadeverconducteda searchforrecordsspecifically relatingtoRoswell Intheabsenceofsuchassurance,theExecutive DirectorinstructedCIApersonneltoconductacomprehensiverecords searchforinformationrelating to Roswell. On May 30, 1995,theCIA'S ExecutiveDirectorinformedusthata searchagainsttheterm"Roswell, New Mexico," in all CL-\databasesproducednoCIAdocumentsrelatedto thecrash.(Acopy ofCL-\'Sresponseappearsinapp.VITI.) Adraftof thisreportwasprovidedtoDODforcomment.DODofferedno commentsorsuggestedchangesto thereportTheChiefArchivist, NationalPersonnelRecordsCenterofferedseveral commentsclarifying mattersdealingwithrecordsmanagement.Thesecommentshavebeen incorporatedintothefinalreportwhereappropriate. CL-\,theDepartmentof Energy,theFBI,theNationalSecurityCouncil, andtheWhiteHouseOffice ofScienceandTechnologyPolicyalso receivedexcerptsfromthereportdiscussingtheactivitiesoftheir respectiveagencies.They had nosubstantivecommentsandmadeno suggestedchangestothereport Todeterminetherequirementsforreportingairaccidentsin 1947,we interviewedmilitarysen-icerecordsmanagementofficials,reviewed militaryrecord-keepingregulationsineffectduringthistimeperiod,and examinedArmyAirForcesandNavyairaccidentreports. We alsosoughttoidentify anygovernmentrecordsrelatedtotheRoswell crash.Inthisregard,wevisitedandreviewedrecordsatthelocations listedin table1. GAOn-;SIAD.95.1SiGo,.ernxnentRecords Table 1:LocationsVisited and Records Reviewed Locationsvisited NationalArchives.Washington, D.C. NationalArchivesII, College Park, Md. NationalArchives,National Record Center, Suitland, Md. National Personnel Records Center, St. Louis. Mo. Departmentof the Air Force. Washington. D.C. Departmentof the Army. Washington, D.C. Departmentof the Navy, Washington. Air ForceSafetyAgency. Kirtland Air Force Base, N. Mex. Air ForceHistory SupportOffice. Bolling Air Force Base. Washington, D.C. NationalSecurityAgency, Fort Meade, Md. MilitaryHistoryInstitute. Army War College, Carlisle. Pa. Army CentralSecurityFacility, FortMeade, Centrallnte!ligenceAgency. Langley. Va. i=ederalBureauof Investigation, Washington, D.C. NationalAtomicMuseum. Kirtland Air Force Sase, N. Mex. Records reviewed Air Forcepapersonunidentifiedflyingobjects ArmyCounterintelligenceCorpshistoricalfiles, 1947-49 Project Blue BookSpecialReportNo. 14 National Security Councilmeetingminutes.1947-48 ArmyInspectorGeneralreports,1947-58 staffintelligencecorrespondence,194756 HeadquartersArmy Air Forcemessagetraffic. 1947-54 Army Air Force and AirMaterielCommand(Wright Field)researchand developmentfiles,1947-50 Morningreportsfor RAAF units, July 1947 Eighth Air Forcemessages.1947-50 Eighth Air Forcecorrespondence,1947-51 Eighth Air Force weeklyactivitysummaries.July Servicerecordsof keypersonnelassignedto RAAF, 1947 Signainvestigativereports, 1948 ArmyAdjutantGeneralcorrespondence.1947-49 Missile test firing reports at White Sands. N. Mex ..1947-54 Current and pastrecordsmanagementregulations Report of Air Force ResearchRegardingthe RoswellIncident,July1994 Current and past recordsmanagementregulations Airaccidentreports, July 1947 Airaccidentreoorts, July 1947 500th Bomb Groupand RAAFmonthlyhistories.July andAugust1947 FOIA records, CitizensAgainstUFOSecrecy ArmyCounterintelligenceCorpsreports.1947 Army CounterinteUigenceCorpsreports.1947 ScientificAdviSOryPanel onUnidentifiedFlyingObjects(RobertsonPanel) FOIA records. GroundSaucerWatch.Inc. FOIArecordsonunidentifiedflyingobjects 509th Bomb Grouphistoricalinformation,1947 RAAF basenewscacerAtomic Blast, July and August 1947 -ProjectSignwasthe predecessorto ?roject Blue Sook. Oursearchofgovernmentrecordswascomplicatedby thefactthatsome recordswe wanted to reviewweremissingandtherewasnotalwaysan explanation.Further,therecordsmanagementregulationsfor retentionand .disposition ofrecordswereunclearorchangingduringthe periodwe reviewed. GAOINSIAD951SiGovernmentRecords WealsoqueriedtheNationalSecurityCouncil,theWhiteHouseOfficeof ScienceandTechnologyPolicy,theDepartmentofEnergy,theFBI, DOD, andtheCIAtodeterminewhatgovernmentrecordstheyhaveonthe Roswellcrash.We didnotindependentlyverifytheinformationprovided tousintheirwrittenresponses. Inadditiontophysicallyexamininggovernmentrecords,wecontactedthe followingfederalactivitiestodeterminewhethertheyhadanyinformation abouttheRoswellcrash: AirForceHistoricalResearchAgency,MaxwellAirForceBase,Alabama; AirForceAeronauticalSystemsCenter,Wright-PattersonAirForceBase, ArmyCenter forMilitaryHistory,Washington,D.C.;and 509th Bomb Wing, Office of theHistorian,Whiteman AirForceBase, Weconducted ourreviewfromMarch1994 toJune1995 inaccordance withgenerallyacceptedgovernmentauditingstandards. Unlessyoupubliclyannounceits contentsearlier,weplannofurther distributionofthisreportuntil 30daysafteritsissuedate.Atthattime,we willmakecopiesavailabletootherinterestedpartiesuponrequest. Ifyouoryourstaffhaveanyquestionsaboutthisreport,pleasecallmeon (202)512-3504.AmajorcontributortothisreportisGaryKWeeter, AssistantDirector. Sincerelyyours, RichardDavis Director,NationalSecurity GAOINSIAD.95.18iGovernmentRecords GAOINS!AD951SiGovernmentRecords CombinedHistory for Appendixll FBI Teletype Message DatedJuly 8, Appendixlli CorrunentsFromthe NationalSecurity AppendixIV CommentsFromthe- Office of Scienceand TechnologyPolicy, ExecutiveOffice thePresident CommentsFromthe DepartmentofEnergy AppendixVI CommentsFromthe FederalBureauof Investigation GAOINSIAD95187 GovernmentRecords AppendixVII Corrunents Departmentof Appendixvm CorrunentsFromthe CentralIntelligence Table1: LocationsVisited andRecordsReviewed Abbreviations CentralIntelligenceAgency Departmentof Defense FederalBureauofInvestigation FreedomofInfonnationAct ArmyAirField GAOr.-iSlAD9518jGovernmentRecords CombinedHistoryforJuly1947 COtIBlNED111STORY;.~;(! BQJ:113GRQW,; ROSWELLARMYAIRFi.EfJ., lJulY1947THROUGH31JULY1947 GAO",SL'\D951S7GovernmentRecords CombinedHistoryforJuly194i 3".1".. 1..allproj.cb."receap1eta4(unll,th.=oath1nclu:t1nr; ':h.lih':odc&1S.ct111nofS-!h..sbn.uio....l)'haD41ca!,pel1by II.i=!"'.....111=oftholi09t~Do=1IGro,,?':heolljocttu:'=o~,,\Ittoll. atSUti.Fo,...11.&rr&ftClIDollts!lll"Colo:ael51&DCha:'dtoTls1t~"eCoTel"IlAr GAOINSIAD.95.18iGovernmentRecords AppendixII rBITeletypeMessageDatedJuly8, 1947 GAOI:'iSL-U>.95-1SiGovemmentRecords Appendixill CommentsFromtheNationalSecurity NAnONALSECURrrYCOUNOL WASt<folOTOH.D.C._ April28,1995 MEMORANDUMrORlB..iOSEPHE.KELLEY Director-in- arqe,Inte:national AffairsIssues GeneralAcco tinqOff:ce SU3JCT:RequestforNSCRecords Iamrespor.dinqtoyourApril12,1995,requestforinfor~ation orNSCrecordsrelatedtot~ecrashofanairborneobjectnear Roswell,NewMexicoinJUly19~7.Tt.eNSChasnorecordsor i~fo~ationrelated~othei~cidentatRoswell. Forinformationaboutanyqovernmentrecordsthatmaydoc~ent thecrashatRoswell,wesuggestyoucontactthe.National Archives,TextualReferenceDivision,eGOlAdelphiRoad,~ollege ~k,Maryland20740.Theirtelephonenumberis(301)713-7230. AndrewD.Sens Exec~tiveSe~retary G.-\OINSL\D95187GovernmentRecords AppendixIV CommentsFromtheOfficeofScienceand. TechnologyPolicy,ExecutiveOffice EXECUTIVEOFFICEOF THEPRESIDENT OFFICEOFSCIENCEANDTECHNOLOGYPOUCY WASHINGTON.D.C. 20500 DearMr.Hunt: InresponsetoyourrecentinquiryofApril12, 1995.TheOftic:ofScienceand TecbnologyPolicyrevieweditsrecordsregardingtheRoswell1Dcident.OSTPhasnodirect IcDowledgeofwhatoccurredat RoswellandDOrecords.exceptfortheinformation Ireceived fromtheAirForce. I lookforwardtoreceivingtheGAOreport. SiDcerely, Mr.WilliamHunt Director.FederalMmagemc:mIssues UnitedSwesGovennnenrAccoumiDgOffICe WashiDgtoD.DC20548 GAOINSIAD-95-187GovernmentRecords CommentsFromtheDepartmentofEnergy Departmentof Energy Washinglon.DC 20585 RichardDayis Director,NationalSecurity GeneralAccountingOffice Washington,D.C.20538 DearMr.Dayis: This is in response to you