Photo Analysis of UFO Photography

This memorandum, dated 17 February 1967, details a photo analysis conducted by the National Photographic Interpretation Center in response to Project Number 66120-7. The project involved analyzing photographs of an alleged UFO submitted by the Aerial Phenomena Office of FTD (TDET/UFO) at Wright-Patterson AFB. The photographic evidence included several enlargements and a photograph of a helicopter for comparison. The analyst reported significant difficulties due to the poor quality of the images, which were second-generation negatives, and the lack of original prints. Major R.W. Nyls of the USAF provided additional photographs and measurement sketches from the site at Lake St. Clair, Michigan, which allowed for an approximate scale to be calculated. However, the analyst emphasized that this required making major assumptions, such as the distance of the object from the camera station and the orientation of the object. The report concludes that the analysis is inconclusive. The analyst noted that the degraded image quality of the helicopter compared to the UFO, and the crispness of the edge gradient on the black band of the UFO, raised questions about the authenticity of the imagery. Ultimately, the report states that there is no definite evidence that the photography is a hoax, but there are too many unanswered questions to determine the nature of the object.