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.
and t;(~!re \WS an occasionally broker, u:ldercast. The object seen was
described as an intense: hlt1l..'-whlte light about 1/10 the siz,e of the
moon ('\,3' arc) and about "seven 01' eight times as bright as Venus at
its brightest magnitude." It first appeared 2210 LST at the upper
left of the Viscount's windshield falling towards the right and r.e-
celerating rapidly as a nomal meteor would, Pilot and co-pilot both
took it to be an unusually brilliant meteor. However, this "meteor"
did not burn out a~j expected, but "abrupt ly hal ted direct 1y j:, front
of us and began to hover motionless." The aircraft at this time was
OV(3!' Jackson, 1\1~1.• and had descended to 10,000 ft. 'lhe pilot contacted
Bates Field control tower in ~lobi1e ,md asked if they could sec the
object which he descrihed to th:~m 9~, "a bril1Lmt white light b;Jlb."
'Dl€:y could not :,ee 1. t. 'l1:c pilnt chen asked Bc;tcs to cr'ntact nearby
Broo'~;ley APB to see if the)' could plot the object on radar. lie never
lc)arned what. the result of this request had been. The object :Jt~gan
maneuvering "darting hither :lnJ yon, rising and f~ll].Ing in undUlating
flight, mJ.kipg sharper turJl'; than any known aircfllt"t, sometimes chan.~ir.D
direction 90' in an in~tant -- the color remaineJ constant, -- and
the objf'ct did not grow or lessen in size." Aft~r a "half minut~~ or :;0"
of this mun,mvering, the object suddenly bi;\Came ffil)tiOlllcS5 again. Agail,
the obj ect ''began another series of crazy gyrations, lazy ci fo!hts, square
ch&ndelles, all the while weaving through the air with a sort of rhyth-
mic, undUlating Cadolll,;e." Following this last exhibitivt1, the objet:t
"~hot out over the Gulf of Mexico, rising at the 1110st breath-taking
angle ant at suc.h a fautastic :;peIJd that it diminished rapidly to it
pinpoint am! was 5\~[d lowed up itl the night. II
1hu whole incident took about two mjnute~. l~c 11110t remcmbcrs
noting that thc time \\HS 2212 EST. '(he object ilppcarcd to be at thl~
same distancl" £1'011"1 the aircraft, which was flyin~~ a 1i ttle faster than
:\00 mph. during the entire episode.
190
and t;i,~re \,1,5 an occasionally broker, ludercast. 'j'h':~ object seen was
described as an intense, hlul'-whlte light about 1/10 the size of the
moon ('\,3' arc) and about "seven or eight times as bright as VemJ5 at
its brightest magnitUl~e." It first appeared 2210 LST at the uppe·r
left of the Viscount's windshield falli.ng towards the right and ce-
celerating rapidly as a nomal meteOl" would, Pilot and co-pilot both
took it to be an unusually brilliant meteor. lIowever, this "meteor"
did not burn out a~j expe\;ted, but "abrupt ly hal ted directly i;, front
of us and began to hover motionless." The aircraft at this time was
ove).' Jackson, 1\1,:1., ant.! had descended to 10,000 ft. 'lhe pilot contacted
Bates Field control tower in ~lobi1e .mel asked jf they could sec the
object which he descril'cd to th,~m 8f' "a brilli;lJ1t white light II'Jlb."
'nley could not "ce l.t. 'I1~e pilnt chen asked I.h;.tcs to crntact nearby
Broo:;ley APB to see if the)' could plot the object on radar. lie never
lQarned what. the result of tllig request had heen. The ohject :legan
maneuvering 1~larting hither and yon, rising and fnl1Jng in undulating
flight, mJ.kipg sharper turll'.; than any known aircrcltt, ~ometilJlcs chan>~ir.g
direction 9()' in an inHant - - the color rcmai ned cons tant, .. - and
the objPct did not grow or lessen in size. \I Aft~r a "half minut\l or :;0"
of this manduvcl'ing, the object suddenly bt'came m'~ti01,lc5S again. Agai-i,
~le object I~egan another series of crazy gyrations, lazy ci~hts, 9qu8TC
ch&ndelles, all thr while weaving through the air with a sort of rhyth-
mic, 1.ll1dulating cadence," Following this last exhibitivn, the object
":>hot OLlt over the Gulf of Mexi.co, risi.ng at the most broath-taking
angle ani at such a fantastic 9pe~d tllut it diminished rapidly to a
pinpoint ami was swallowl~u up itl the night."
The whol(> incident took llbout two minutes. Tlw pi lot rCml'lniJl'TS
noting that the time "as 2212 EST. '111C object appeared to be <It the
same distancl" f1'01'1 the aircraft, which was flyinl: H 1.ittle faster thall
:wo mph. dllring the entire ep.isode.
190 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.