Documents / Report
This is the final report of the Scientific Study of Unidentified Flying Objects, conducted by the University of Colorado under Air Force contract F44620-67-C-0035, with Edward U. Condon as scientific director and Daniel S. Gillmor as editor. It was submitted to the National Academy of Sciences on 15 November 1968 for review. The report includes field studies, photographic and radar analyses, case studies, historical chapters and appendices such as the Robertson Panel report and the Twining letter.
!'hc' last thH1l' ('xamples lIi(,I1t':ol1l.'d art' ol1es 111 which the ilFO
olosl'rvL'r \\'a::, thL' victim of pran"stcl'S, We conclude that ;n similar
cases the l'~'ank is never discovereu, anu the UFO report rernajns iTi the
"unkno\\'n" or "unres 01 ved" cat0gory. Undiscovered pranks, deliberate
hoaxes, and hallucinations, were suspected in some other field in-
vestigations,
C. Pranks out of Hand
What starts out as a prank occasionally develops a notoriety so
\\'idesrrcad that ~ prankstL r becomes enmeshed in a monstrous web
of publicit\ lich he can no longer extricate himself. One
elderly seCUL / guard (Case 26) on lonely, boring, ~re-dawn duty
in a waterfront area, firel1 his pistol at an oil drum used as &. waste
\~ontainer, He \\'a5 within tl'c city limits of Los Angele::., but the
site was isolated. Iiwention of an UFO, either to "explain" his
illegal £i ring of a weapon within the ci ty 1imi ts or to generate a
bit of excitement, l~oulc be understandable under such circumstances.
His tal2 of a 90 ft., cigar-shaped liFO, against which his bu1l0ts
flattened and fell back to earth, where he picked up four of th0m,
\\'(1.<; a sensation. This gentleman was hewi ldered by the reaction to
his natiu~aljy broadcast story. He and his wife were harassed by
phone calls from coast to coast. 'Ihe police, civilians, and Colorado
project investigated. Even after admitting to police that his shots
had been fired at the steel drum which bore bullet-size holes and den<:~;,
hp could not disconnect himself from the widely publicized UFO
verslon of his story.
In any instanc.,;~ in which commitment to an apparently fakod
story stoemed so strong that hoax or ignorance could no longer
be' admittl'J without scriou;, psychologicni sequence, project members
considered It neither c1L'sirablc frul11 the individl!al's standpoi!lt
nor llseful fr()!ntheprojcct's standpoint to Jlursuu the case furt!lllr,
D. Naive ~Ii~;i.!:.terpn~tations
Unfettered im"gilw.tior,s, triggered i;'1;o action by the view of
an ordinary object under conditions which made it appear to be
92
rhe' last thrlw ('xamr'[p.s 1Ii('l1tiOI1Pd :ll'l' olles ill which the UFO
o\,sl'rvc'r \\a~· thl' victlin of pranh,;tel's, Wl' conclude that in similar
ca~es the I'~'allk is never discoven'u, anu the UFO report remains in the
"unkno\\n" or "unrE'solvl'd" cat;:gory, Undiscovered pranks, de~iberate
hoaxes, and hallucinations, Nere suspected in some other field in-
ve5tigations,
C, Pranks out of lIanu
What starts out as a prank occasionally develops a notoriety so
Iddesrread that' prankstl r becomes enmeshed in a monstrous web
of publicit\ lich he can no longer extricate him~€'lf, One
elderly seCUL ;' guurd (Case 26) on lont'ly, boring, !~r€'-dawn duty
in a waterfront area, fired his pistol at an oil drum usod as &. waste
,-ontail1('r, lIe "as within tl'.e city limits of Los Angele::., but the
site was isolatl'u. Iiwention of an UFO, either to "explain" his
illegal firing of a weapoll within the city limits or to generate a
hit of excitement, )liotlle be undel'standabl~, under such circumstances,
His ta12 of a 90 ft., cigar-shaped 111'0, against whieh his bulJ.0ts
fl attened and fe 11 back to earth, where he pi eked up four of th.;)m,
\\'a.s a sen5ation, This gentleman was bewi Idered by the reaction to
his natiu~alJy broadcast story, He and his wife were harasseu by
phone calls from CO<l!,;t to coast. The pol ice, civilians, and Colorado
project investigated. Even after admitting to police that his shots
had been fired at the steel urum which bore hullet-size holes and den':~;,
h(' could not disconnect himself from the widely publici zed UFO
verston of hi.s story,
In any instanc~ in which commjtment to an apparently fakod
story stcemcd so ~trong that hoax 0)" ignorance could no longer
bl' aclmittl'u without seriol!" p~ychologica[ scqucncC', project mcmhcr~
considered It IIl'ithcr desirable from the inuividuClL's standpoiut
nor lls('ful frClTn the project's staJldpoint to pursul' till' case furtllllr,
[J, :\I:1i vo ~Ji ~;i.!:.tcrpn:.tations
Unfettereu im.i~:illa.tior,s, triggered il'1:0 act ion by the v:iew of
an ordillary object under conditions which made it appear to be
92 Report, from the classic collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is under it. 1497 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.