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

re-investigation of the case. While this inquiry provided valuable
new expei"ience in the problems of invC'stigat.ing UFO phen()mona,
it brought little or no new information to ~ight.
In ,eneral, testimony of witnesses recorded shortly after their
experiences (:an be considered more reliable than their re-telling
of the stor)' tl..,rO to 20 years later, both h~cause of failures of
mem;Jry and because of a tendency to crystallization of the story
upon repeated retelling. For thisceason, rc-examina t i on of
w~ tncsses in "1~la5s',clf cases \~as not cons itlercd a useful way for
the project to invest tinlt'. Fielt1. investigation of classic cases
was therefore "I' imi ted to those in which exj sting reports conta.inctl
a serious di::;cl'epancy which might he resolved.
In one c:1assic case, field Lnvestif,ation was l!l1Je:'~akt:n primarily
to locate th.,t portion of a 5 trip of 1611lm. mati on pi cture fj 1m made
in 1950 which, the photographer said, sl1owf:'d most clearly the structurE'
of UFOs he had photographed (r.;as~ 47 ). The photographer had claimed
that this port ion haC! been removed frc.m hi s fi 1m when he 1ent it
to the Ail' Fo:rce for study bf~fQre the film was r.-:turncd to him
by ATle experts.
The results of the investigation emphasized the viciss~tu(;es
of mernory and the di fficul he~ of establishing a crucial fact some
18 years after the event. Rathe:t than reducing the unccrtaL1ty in
the c",se, the in yes tigati on created greater unc.:crtai nty because it
revealed further discrepancies in accounts of the sighting.
'\11e case
of UFOs he had photographed (Case 47 ). TllC photographcr had cl:1.i mcu
that this portion haa been removed from his film when he lent it
to the Ail' Force for study b.?forfJ the film was r~tllrncd to him
by AT! C experts,
The results of the inve3tigation emphasi zed the vLeiss ~ tu,:es
of memory and the di fficul he." of establishing a crucial fact some
18 years afteI' the event. Rather than reduciJlg the uncertai,1ty in
the case, the investigatioTi created greater uncertainty br:cause it
revealeJ. further dir,crcpanc iet; in account:; of the si ghting,
"1)€' I.:tlSC also was of ~;l()cial interest hecause eurl i.el' photograph i c
a.nalysis by Dr. R,~1.L, Haker, tlll'll of 1J()llgl<ls ,drcrGft CorporatloT1,
indicated that the photographed Objects probablY Were not aircraft,
contrary to thei r "identificat ion" in Project Illue [~ook recol'ds.
Identi fication a~; other niall-made or natural objects apparent ly had
74