The CIA UFO Papers

by Dan Wright

  Chapter 27

  1974: Gemini 4 Photos

  Bruce Lowe, Executive Secretary of the National Security Council, sent a November 5, 1974, letter to researcher Brad Sparks—who in 1977 would cofound Citizens Against UFO Secrecy (CAUS). Lowe enclosed: (a) the minutes of a December 4, 1952, meeting of the Intelligence Advisory Committee, and (b) the declassified January 1953 Robertson Panel Report. The panel had concluded, Lowe stipulated, that UFOs offered no direct threat to national security. As a consequence, a National Security Council Intelligence Directive was not drafted.1

  While you were away from your desk . . .

  April 12, 1974

  NBC network's episode of the Today show featured a UFO discussion including former astronaut James McDivitt, Congressman Edward Roush, and two civilian UFO researchers. McDivitt reported that, while aboard the Gemini 4 on June 4, 1965, he had seen a “cylindrical object with a long pole sticking out” that did not fit the position of any US or USSR space vehicle. In 1972 McDivitt had remarked that he twice photographed the object that day; the photo released by NASA showing the sun's reflection on the Gemini window, he asserted, had nothing whatsoever in common with what he had seen.2

  May 17, 1974

  Now surely, the Agency would have been curious about an alleged UFO crash on American soil. But judging by the official records released to its website in 2017, no, it was apparently not interested.

  An apparent UFO crash occurred at 10:10 p.m., approximately 30 miles southwest of Albuquerque, New Mexico. At Kirtland AFB, technicians at the Manzano Laboratory on the base suddenly lost total control of their equipment coincident with a burst of energy never before experienced. Every instrument throughout the facility malfunctioned in seemingly dissimilar ways. Before the energy dissipated, a trajectory was plotted, and a recovery team was dispatched to the presumed impact site. An area surrounding the small mountain village of Chilili, New Mexico, was cordoned off from the public. Within a few hours an object described as metallic, circular, and about 60 feet in diameter (when reassembled) was transferred into a hangar at Kirtland.3 Nothing further was ever openly mentioned concerning the incident.

  May 31, 1974

  Outside Umvuma, Zimbabwe, at 2:30 a.m., soon after a couple set out on a 179-mile journey, the car's headlights suddenly failed as a blue beam from above took control of their vehicle. The interior became extremely cold. They realized they were traveling at very high speed without lights. When they arrived at their destination the UFO was gone. They soon noticed that the auto's odometer had advanced only 11 miles; the gas tank remained nearly full.4

  September 16, 1974

  Near St. Helens, Tasmania, at 9:00 p.m., a woman and her two small children were driving home through a drizzle when static filled the car radio. A bright light appeared before them in the sky as the engine, headlights, radio, and heater all quit. Seconds later a “vibrating” noise surrounded the auto. All three felt painful electric shocks. Then the interior filled with a choking smell. The three abandoned the car and fled to the nearest home. An hour later when they returned to their vehicle, nothing was amiss. The mother, however, now had swollen arms and fingers, and the right side of her face was numb. Those symptoms gradually cleared.5

  October 27, 1974

  A British family of five was returning from an outing. At 9:50 p.m. as they neared Aveley, Essex, a bright light swooped down from the sky before them. The radio sparked as the engine quit and the headlights went out. They rolled into a thick green mist, whereupon they experienced several hours of missing time. Following the incident, the husband had a nervous breakdown. The wife and children thereafter could no longer tolerate meat. The husband and wife both gave up alcohol. The husband also quit smoking.6

  Chapter 28

  1975: Ignoring Base Intrusions

  Had the US Forecast Center, a division of the National Weather Service within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), ever bothered with UFO sightings? (Redacted) said at one time many calls and questions were received. Scientific balloon flights had prompted some of those.1

  “NMCC (National Military Command Center) notified the Operations Center that DDO (CIA Deputy Director of Operations) talking points contained an update concerning penetration of Loring AFB, Maine, by unidentified helicopter(s) flying out of Canada. Received copy via LDX and disseminated” October 28, 1975.2

  While you were away from your desk . . .

  May 3, 1975

  A young Mexican pilot in a Piper PA-24 Comanche was harassed by three diminutive discs, each only 10–12 feet in diameter. Two positioned themselves at the wingtips, the third underneath where it struck and damaged the hull. His controls froze and he was unable to lower the landing gear. He then radioed a Mayday. When the saucers finally left, he fixed the control lever with a screwdriver, was thereby able to lower the landing gear, and made an emergency landing at Mexico City International.3

  May 5, 1975

  At 9:15 p.m., a man was driving to his Pleasanton, Texas, home when an amber luminescent disc rose from the ground and approached with a whirring sound. He detected two figures inside the craft as it moved over his truck. A beam of light enveloped his vehicle and turned cherry red, heating the interior. When the intruder flew away, the driver's eyes were smarting and his hands and feet were numb.4

  August 13, 1975

  Air Force Sergeant Charles Moody was in the New Mexico desert outside Alamogordo, taking in the Perseids meteor shower at 1:15 a.m. He noticed a luminescent metallic object seemingly falling from the sky a football field's distance away. He adjudged it to be about 50 feet long and 18 or 20 feet wide. Wobbling, it stopped short of the desert floor and moved laterally toward him. He was now frightened and jumped into his car, but it wouldn't start. The intruder stopped about 70 feet away with a high-pitched hum. Through a rectangular window shadowy figures were evident inside. The humming stopped and he felt a pervasive numbness. The next thing he remembered was seeing the vehicle rising into the air. His car started without trouble. Arriving home, he realized he could not account for 1½ hours. The next day he experienced back pain; a few days hence, a rash broke out over much of his body. On the advice of a physician, he practiced self-hypnosis for his back discomfort and, to his satisfaction, recalled the particulars of an abduction experience aboard the craft.5

  October 27, 1975

  About 8:00 p.m., at Loring AFB, Maine, the white strobe and red-orange lights of an unknown accompanied by a whirring sound hovered 300 yards over stored nuclear weapons. It departed 90 minutes later after maneuvering over and around the base, tracked on radar. Two nights later, radar controllers detected an unknown intruder over the weapons storage area again. A helicopter was directed to within 1,000 yards of the unknown, but the pilot failed to detect it visually. On October 31 it was back once more, again interested in the weapons storage. This time it was detected three times by a pursuing helicopter that carried members of the USAF Office of Special Investigations. Despite having it in sight, the chopper crew was not able to intercept it.6

  October 30, 1975

  Wurtsmith AFB, Michigan, was intruded. As with Loring, its nuclear weapons underground were the apparent target. At 10:10 p.m., families in the base housing section noticed what they supposed was a low-flying helicopter with no running lights. By 10:25 p.m., security police at the base's back gate reported the same. Guards inside the Weapons Storage Area reported seeing an airborne vehicle low in the sky above. They were unable to identify it but heard a sound similar to a helicopter. Radar Approach Control tracked the object both over the base and up to 35 miles away over Saginaw Bay (Lake Huron). Staff in the tower did not see it—and never attempted to contact it.

  In due course, a KC-135 tanker aircraft returning from a refueling run was vectored toward the intruder. Cat-and-mouse ensued as the tanker, flying at 2,700 feet and 200 knots, was unable to overtake it. A captain onboard who was a flight instructor recounted the final minutes of the encounter:

  I
remember seeing lights similar to strobe lights which were flashing irregularly.... [A]fter observing the lights we determined that there were in fact two objects and the irregular flashing appeared to be some sort of signal being passed from one to the other ...

  Low on fuel and losing sight of the lights amid all the fishing boat lights on the lake, the crew turned back toward the base.

  On the way back we picked up the UFO again ... [W]e turned back in the direction of the UFO and it really took off in the direction of the Bay area. I know this might sound crazy, but I would estimate that the UFO sped away from us doing approximately 1,000 knots.... On final approach we saw the lights again near the Weapons Storage Area.

  The captain was questioned by the USAF Office of Special Investigations and cautioned not to discuss the incident.7

  The next day, October 31, a note for the record was generated at the Alert Center Branch, USAF Aerospace Intelligence Division: “Contacted CIA OPS (Operations) center and informed them of U/I (unidentified) flight activity over two SAC bases near Canadian border. CIA ... requested they be informed of any follow up activity.”8

  Chapter 29

  1976: An Uptick in Agency Interest

  In an April 14, 1976, teletyped message, a source (name/place redacted) requested his report be classified confidential. “Source seeks guidance from CIA UFO experts as to material in his report that should remain classified.”1

  Also in teletyped form the next day, April 15, came a message (to/from redacted); the recipient, undoubtedly a superior, marked up the teletyped text to “waffle” on certain statements and redact identifiers. The message referred to the UFO (redacted—apparently a named study), which was given to (redacted), the Assistant Deputy Director for Science and Technology (A/DDS&T), “who was also briefed on the developments to date. Dr. (redacted) said he would show the study to a few people to determine possible implications of the information and would be back to us soon on this matter.”2

  Then, on page 2, came something of a blockbuster admission: “At the present time there are offices and personnel within the Agency who are monitoring the UFO phenomena, but again, this is not currently on an official basis.” The particular phrasings leading up to this acknowledgment lent credence to the notion that some units within the Agency maintained an interest in aerial phenomena and that the CIA was involved with some manner of research already conducted—presumably in the recent past or perhaps ongoing. Seven years and change after its release, the Condon Report was shopworn. This read like something newer. Then came that stark utterance, “... offices and personnel within the Agency who are monitoring the UFO phenomena...” A more obvious admission would never be made. The message ended, “In view of Dr. (redacted's) willingness to review additional information received on the UFO phenomena we will keep subject case open to your office for the present.” Hence, the A/DDS&T, that is the CIA's Office of Science and Technology, would remain open for business—UFO business.3

  On April 22, 1976, within an internal Domestic Communications Division memo, the writer said he “attempted to obtain analytical guidance on the UFO (redacted) subject.” The A/DDS&T was asked if he knew of any official UFO program to answer questions posed by (redacted). After examining the materials, (redacted) said he would personally look into it. In a follow-up contact he said it did not appear the Government had any formal program to identify or solve the problem.

  He continued, “Independent researchers (redacted) are vital for further progress in this area. At the present time there are offices and personnel within the Agency who are monitoring the UFO phenomena” unofficially. Open channels with outside sources were advised to keep the CIA apprised of any security threat or foreign applications. The writer offered to disseminate any further developments.4

  On June 25, 1976, (redacted) met with (redacted) of the Agency's Office of Resource Development regarding ORD's possible interest in a UFO case. Copies of (redacted) materials were provided. ORD's potential interest depended on its evaluation of the materials. Additional information on the (redacted) system was requested. (Redacted) asked that ORD interest be kept quiet until analysis was complete but indicated he would stay in contact.5

  On July 14, a redacted party sent a revealing note to the deputy chief of the Office of Development and Engineering (OD&E), who had expressed interest in the UFO subject:

  As you may recall, I mentioned my own interest in the subject as well as the fact that DCD (Domestic Collection Division) had been receiving UFO related material from many of our S&T (science and technology) sources who are presently conducting related research. These scientists include some who have been associated with the Agency for years and whose credentials remove them from the “nut” variety.

  The writer included attachments (not shown) from S&T sources and would provide additional material if the recipient were interested.6

  September 10, 1976, sometime after 6:00 p.m., a London-bound British European Airways (BEA) airliner at 33,000 feet encountered an anomaly over Lithuania. A brilliant, stationary, yellowish light was 10–15 miles away and 5,000 feet or so below the plane. Difficult to look at, it illuminated a cloud below. The pilot alerted the passengers to his concern via intercom, saying he had asked Soviet authorities for an explanation. The light was in view for 10-plus minutes until the aircraft had flown past and left the light source behind. The Soviet respondent told the pilot he “should not ask questions.”7

  In a September 24 document, almost entirely redacted, is one visible and pertinent line: “23 September (redacted) with personal request to investigate UFO sighted Morocco.”8

  A November 18, 1976, information report, almost entirely redacted, had a revealing comment in paragraph 6:

  (Redacted) asked for (redacted's) personal opinion of the UFO phenomenon. He was told that 99 percent of these occurrences were traceable to either natural or man-made phenomena such as celestial movement, aircraft, or artificial satellites and that the other one percent cannot be explained—possibly hallucinations. (Redacted) then asked, “Do you think it is possible ... could there be something coming from outer space?9

  While you were away from your desk . . .

  January 21, 1976

  A Memorandum for the Record was filed at the National Military Command Center in Washington, D.C., concerning an incident at 5:55 a.m.: “Two UFOs are reported near the flight line at Cannon AFB, New Mexico. Security Police observing them reported the UFOs to be 25 yards in diameter, gold or silver in color with blue light on top, hole in the middle, and red light on bottom.”10

  April 22, 1976

  At 11:10 p.m., an Elmwood, Wisconsin, patrolman drove over a hill to check out an orange glow and confronted an object some 500 feet away that he figured to be 250 feet in diameter. Hovering 100 feet over the ground, the ship had fin-like projections, landing legs, and six blue windows revealing figures moving inside. When it gave off a blue flash, the cruiser's engine, headlights, and two-way radio failed. The object departed quickly with a loud sound. Area residents reported that their TV sets malfunctioned in that time frame. The stunned policeman was hospitalized for several days. His cruiser needed a new condenser and spark plugs.11

  July 11, 1976

  Two Indian Air Force MiG-21 jets were sent to the Pakistani border, presumably to handle a border violation. Instead they came upon something crossing the sky at an estimated 2,600 mph. They described it as amber in color and saucer-shaped. It easily outdistanced them as they tried in vain to catch up.12

  August 6, 1976

  Near Gaspesie, Quebec, on a foggy day, a family was driving when a red “spotlight” descended over their car. Immediately the engine and headlights failed and the interior became uncomfortably hot. They pulled to a stop and climbed out, confronting a huge oval object with windows facing them. Strange-looking entities with huge eyes were inside. Momentarily the object flew away without further incident.13

  August 13, 1976

  About 5:00 p.m., a private pilot was flying
a Piper Arrow between Diepholz and Petershagen, Germany, when he noticed a strange light on his left. Over the next 3–5 minutes it inched continually closer and assumed a position a short way off his left wingtip. It appeared oval-shaped with a yellowish center and a flame-orange perimeter. After several more minutes of pacing, the Piper suddenly went into two 360-degree barrel rolls. The pilot was able to manually recover a level attitude but not until the plane had dropped 500 feet. His magnetic compass was spinning wildly. He contacted Hannover Airport and was told that his plane and another object were being tracked and that help had been dispatched. In minutes two F-4 Phantom jets streaked by as the intruder accelerated forward then up, out of sight in seconds.

  The pilot was told to land at Hannover and taxi to a special area. He was taken to an underground office and questioned for three hours. The interrogators would not identify whom they represented. Ultimately, he refused to sign a non-disclosure form, though threatened with the loss of his pilot's license for failing to cooperate.14