Investigation of Reports on Unidentified Flying Objects — Procedures

This document is a memorandum from the Department of Civil Aviation, dated March 14, 1967, addressed to the Regional Director of the Queensland Region. It outlines the official procedures for handling reports of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) within Australia. The memorandum establishes that the Royal Australian Air Force (R.A.A.F.) holds primary responsibility for investigating these reports, as they are best equipped to assess local phenomena, weather conditions, and aircraft movements. The Department of Civil Aviation formalizes its cooperation with the R.A.A.F. by mandating that any UFO reports received by regional offices must be forwarded to the nearest R.A.A.F. base. Furthermore, the Department of Civil Aviation commits to providing any pertinent information, such as aircraft movement data, to assist in these investigations without delay. If a report is received directly by the central office, it is to be referred to the Department of Air. The document also includes administrative notes from a meeting held in November 1963 regarding technical examination procedures for aircraft components and the reporting of unusual occurrences, indicating that reports not associated with known aircraft should still be communicated to the Head Office. The file contains various administrative notations, including references to related files such as 70/3876, which concerns reports on sightings of UFOs.