Documents / FOIA release

roswell

Office of the Secretary of Defense · 993 pages · text from the file's own layer

The Roswell Report: Fact versus Fiction in the New Mexico Desert was published in 1995 by Headquarters United States Air Force. It was written in response to Representative Steven H. Schiff's request and a General Accounting Office audit, and it contains Col. Richard L. Weaver's report and 1st Lt. James McAndrew's synopsis, along with attachments, appendices and photographs. The report says researchers found no evidence of an extraterrestrial craft or crew. It concludes that the 1947 debris came from a Project MOGUL balloon train.

  • p. 13 …Alamogordo News, "Fantasy of 'Flying Disc' Is Exlained Here: News Men Watch Army Radar Crew Launch…
  • p. 25 …AAF) allegedly recovered remains of a crashed "flying disc" near Roswell, New Mexico. In February, 1994…
  • p. 28 …Marcel, had recovered a "flying disc" from the range lands of an unidentified rancher in the…
  • p. 36 …during the month answering inquiries on the 'flying disc,' which was reported to be in possession…
  • p. 37 …July 7, he was busy with a "flying disc" incident; however this particular incident involved Ellington…
  • p. 38 …and sticks." Additionally, the description of the "flying disc" was consistent with a document routinely used…
  • p. 43 …balloon." Concerning the initial announcement, "RAAF Captures Flying Disc," research failed to locate any documented evidence…
  • p. 44 …Pflock concluded from his research that the Brazel Ranch debris originally reported as a "flying disc…
  • p. 46 …Major Marcel in originally reporting that a "flying disc" had been recovered when, at that time…
  • p. 75 …material recovered near Corona was from a "flying disc," a weather balloon, or something else. Please…
  • p. 99 …mentioning the Office of Public Affairs and "flying disc" activities in GP-509-Hl, July 1947…
  • p. 100 …search produced no documents concerned with a flying disc and/or weather balloon crash at Roswell…
  • p. 105 …kept quite busy during the monti1 answering inquiries on the "flying disc", which.was reported to…
  • p. 144 …fro~ the Houston Chronicle saying that a flying disc had landed there v:ith his (Colonel…
  • p. 166 …now famous newspaper says they found a "flying disc" in RosweU? That was actually the Roswell…
  • p. 254 …Here's the morning paper, "Report flying disc found." Down here is about Colonel J.D…
  • p. 318 …this debris may be part of a "flying disc."1 The sheriff conta<;ted Roswell (Army…
  • p. 325 …rancher and was subsequently identified as a "flying disc" by personnel from Roswell AAF was, with…
  • p. 326 …It should also be understood that the term "flying disc" was not at this time synonymous…
  • p. 329 …floor of the office was a crashed "flying disc." Newton, having seen many weather balloons and…
  • p. 331 …subsequent rumors that the "capture" of a "flying disc" occurred, ultimately left many people with unanswered…
  • p. 373 11 Alamogordo News "Fantasy of 'Flying Disc' Is Explained Here: News Men Watch Army Raqar Crew…
PROFESSOR MOORE - 6/8/94 39
A: On the afternoon of the 8th. It may have been
published on the 9th, but ••.
Q: You're right. Evening of the 8th. Examination by the
Army revealed last night, a high altitude weather balloon.
General Ramey, Commander, 8th Air Forces, cleared up the mystery.
A: In these pictures here, don't show these flaps. This,
I think, is my step ladder that I used to reach high targets,
when we have these big balloon trains going way up in the air.
Here again, is an unorthodox use of radar targets. We did that,
and as far as I know, other people didn't.
Q: Did you ever use radar targets with the polyethylene
balloons?
A: Yes, sir. In fact somewhere I have a picture where we
flew a missile, we launched a missile for O&R Special Devices
Center in 1949. I have a picture showing the targets up and down
the balloon train there.
Q: Do you remember trying to pin down some of these
flights that could possibly cause this misunderstanding? You
talk about putting a target with the neoprene balloons, but at
that time you also launched them with the polyethylene?
A: This picture I showed you right here. This is a
polyethylene balloon.
Q: So you used a visual by the aircraft to watch the
balloon? It would circle underneath.
A: The aircraft circling underneath were really to pick up
the microphone signals. That was part of the Watson Lab
operation. our operation, we depended on radiosons and where we
could get radar tracking for tracking air balloons. But the
aircraft operation here was entirely to support Project Mogul.
We didn't consider ourselves Mogul because I didn't even know the
name.
Q: The summary of flights ..•
A: That's one of the flights with the mixed
interpretations because of the radiosondes.
Q: In one column it says "tracking percent." Then
sometimes it will say by aircraft.
A: That's true.
Q: So "aircraft observation", was that a visual
observation or an electronic?

Cases discussed

About this file

FOIA release, from the osd collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is under it. 993 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.