Comments on 00-B-90229, Sighting of Unconventional Aircraft

This memorandum, addressed to the Director of Central Intelligence from the Assistant Director of Scientific Intelligence, Herbert Scoville, Jr., provides an assessment regarding a sighting of an unconventional aircraft, referenced as 00-B-90229. The document notes that the lighting and distance conditions during the sighting made identification difficult. However, the author observes that the object's behavior—specifically its spiraling motion upon leaving the launcher—is inconsistent with a vertical take-off aircraft. Instead, the characteristics described are more indicative of a missile or aircraft launched from a zero-length rail, a process that would typically involve visible flame and smoke. The memorandum further references a 1954 evaluation by the Scientific Advisory Board to the Chief of Staff, USAF, which had been tasked with investigating the 'flying saucer' phenomenon. The Board had previously concluded that various factors, such as payload and drag, were often overlooked in such reports. The current Air Force research, as noted in the document, is focused on vertical thrust technologies that modify the traditional 'flying saucer' concept. Ultimately, the document concludes that while the specific object cannot be identified, the evidence suggests it was not a 'flying saucer'.