Scientific Study of Unidentified Flying Objects (the Condon Report, complete, three volumes)

Chapter 1
Field Studies
Roy Craig
1. Introduction
Reports of UFO ol)servations, elaborate in description as they
som~time5 are, are usually lacking information which would concretely
defin~ the nature of the object observed or the experience described.
When specific information describing an unidentifiable object is
presented, the reliability of that information must also be evaluated,
and some corroboratlon or independent verification is necessary.
At its outset in November 1966, the infonnation wi th which this
project had to w1.'rk c0nsisted of old ~'';l1orts. some of which had
been investigated quite thoroughly by official and private agencies.
and press aCCOl.'nts of current s igi1tings. in \"hi eh the information was
generally fragmentary. New infoI1liati on rega.rding sightings which
had never been revealed to the pub 1i c also occasionally crone to our
attention. In all cases, additional information. varying in nature
for different cases, \"a5 desired. Field i.nvestigatjons were under-
taken in an effort to obtain such information.
2. Old UFO Cases
The project acquired copies of Project blue Hook and NICAP
reports of UFO case:;; ,,'hi<.:11 huu hcell Jiscw;seu Ln popular UFO wri ting:;,
or "'rich were rq~ard('J as havinl~ ullusual ~;;cicntific interest.
SOIllI! of these repl)rteJ sightings had been so cxtcl1sivPly puhljdwc1
that they have a..:quired the statlls of "Class.ic" case~;.
III lJecfmber 1966, ('al'1y in the project history, we attempted
to augment ava~ lab Ie inforrnatiun regarding one such case: the
H152 "'ashingtC'lIl, D,C" radar slghtings (see Section TTl Chapter S), hy ()n-~itt'
73
1. Introduction
Chapter 1
Field Studies
Roy Craig
Reports of UFO oryservations, eiaborate in description as they
some,t imes are, are usually lucking information ,",'hj ch would concretely
defin!" the nature of the object observed or the experience described.
When specific infor,nation describing an unidentifiable object is
presented, the reliability of that information must also be evaluated.,
and some corroboration or independent veri ficatioll is necessary.
At i t5 outset in November 1966, the information wi th which this
project had to wr,'rk consisted of old ~~ports. some of which had
been investigated quite thoroughly by official and private agencies,
and press aCCOl..'nts of current sigiltings, in which the infomation was
generally fraglIlentarr. New infonHation regll.rding si8htings which
had never been rev(~alcd to the pub,! ic also occasionally came to our
attention, In all cases, additional information, varying in nature
for different cases, 11as desired. Field i.nvestigatj ons were under-
taken in an effort to obtain such information.
2. Old UFO Cases
The oroject acquired copies of Project Blue Hook and NICAP
reports of UFO case:, which hwJ hC'l'n discussed in popular UFO wri ting"
or I;,rich were rc!c:ardC'u as havin,~ unusual :~cientific interest.
SOIlll' of these rep')ftl'J 5 i ght i ng:; had been ;.; 0 ex l:cn:~ i vl'ly pull 1 i ci :wd
t.hat they have a..:qui reu the st;ltus of "Class.i e" case~;.
In 1J('cfmber 196G, ('arly in t.11C' project history, we attempted
to augment ava~ 1all Ie inforniatiull regarding one such case: the
1~152 h'ashi.ngton, D.C., radar SIghting;; (see Sectioll TTT Chapter !iJ, hy on-!.itc
73