Gold Prospector Aims Telescope at a Line in the Sky

Harold A. Dahl claims six 'doughnut'/inner-tube-shaped discs ~100 ft across with 25-ft center hole; one wavers, another bumps it, dumping 'tons' of slag/lava-like fragments onto Dahl's harbor patrol boat, killing his dog and a sea gull and injuring his son. Subsequently admitted by both Dahl and Crisman in signed FBI statement (7 Aug 1947) to be a fabrication; rocks were picked up from a Maury Island gravel pit.

Witnesses

Harold A. Dahl · Mr. Knight · Dahl's 16-year-old son · Fred L. Crisman (alleged second-day sighting)

The object

Six round, deflated-inner-tube-shaped discs ~100 ft across, 25-ft center hole, square inner ring portholes, silent, no visible propulsion

Outcome

Hoax confirmed; signed disclaimer obtained; Air Reserve commission of Crisman recommended for revocation as 'undesirable and unreliable officer'

B-25 #1316 returning from McChord Field to Hamilton Field crashes after left-engine fire burns through exhaust stack and ignites left wing, which separates and tears off the tail. Pilot Capt. W. C. Davidson and Lt. Frank M. Brown killed; crew chief T/Sgt. Mathews and passenger Sgt. Taff parachute to safety. Officers were carrying Maury Island 'disc fragment' samples; subsequent press (Tacoma Times, United Press) reported the plane was sabotaged or shot down with a 20mm cannon. FBI investigation found no evidence of sabotage.

Witnesses

T/Sgt. W. D. Mathews · Sgt. R. L. Taff

Sensors

Air Rescue Service ground party (Capt. Littrell, Capt. Forsberg)

Outcome

Two officers killed; crash determined accidental (engine fire); 'fragments' later assessed by Major Sander as slag from a copper mill and by AMC T-2/T-3 Wright Field as plaster-of-paris ceramic with resistance wire, an outmoded magnetic speaker diaphragm, and bakelite coil forms (‘hoax’).

Capt. Emil J. Smith and co-pilot Ralph Stevens spot unidentified objects 10° left of course while climbing through 8,000 ft NW from Boise; CAA radio operator at Ontario, OR could not see them.

Witnesses

Emil J. Smith · Ralph Stevens

Multiple sworn affidavits: Col. Gilkey and Maj. Shoop saw a thin metallic, oscillating object 5-8 mi N at ~noon (8 min in view); Lt. McHenry, Sgt. Ruvolo, Sgt. Nauman, and Jannette Marie Scott saw two silver disc-like objects ~8,000 ft heading toward Mojave at ~300 mph against the wind, plus a third object circling tightly; Capt. John Paul Stapp at 1150 hrs in Area #3 observed an ovular silvery object with two thick fins/knobs that crossed (rotation/oscillation), descending at 3x parachute speed against prevailing wind toward Mt. Wilson; in view ~90 sec.

Witnesses

Col. Gilkey · Maj. R. R. Shoop · 1st Lt. J. C. McHenry · T/Sgt. Joseph Ruvolo · S/Sgt. Gerald F. Nauman · Jannette Marie Scott · Capt. John Paul Stapp · Mr. Lenz (Wright Field) · Mrs. A. C. Naum (RN) and ~7 dispensary staff

The object

Silver/aluminum-colored spherical or disc-like objects, 8000 ft, ~300 mph; one with ovular silhouette and two knobs that rotated/oscillated; silent

Outcome

No further AAF investigation; affidavits taken by CIC S/A Thomas A. McMillan

Ward L. Stewart and Capt. William M. Ryherd observe a milky-white unidentified object pursuing a P-80 at 3-4x its speed (~750-1000 mph), then a second object joining in left-right zig-zag fighter-escort maneuver; ~15 sec, course ~120°; not the Navy 'Flying Flapjack'.

Witnesses

Ward L. Stewart · Capt. William M. Ryherd

Steve Herrman, R. J. (Bob) Madden, and Karl Hermann observe a bright disc 2-3 mi NW at ~3000 ft hovering and fluttering vertically ~50-100 ft for ~5 sec, then 'melting into thin air' to the NE at tremendous speed; apparent 3 ft diameter, 3-4 in thick, polished-nickel finish.

Witnesses

Steve Herrman · R. J. Madden · Karl Hermann

A. C. Urie and sons Billie (10) and Keith (8) report a sky-blue, 20-ft x 10-ft x 10-ft inverted-pie-plate / compressed-straw-hat-shaped object racing down the canyon at ~1000 mph and ~75 ft altitude, jet-like fiery red glow on side; 'just a s-w-i-s-h'; trees over which it passed 'spun around on top as if they were in a vacuum'; Urie believed it atomically powered. Same morning ~9:30 am, Twin Falls County Commissioner L. W. Hawkins and J. H. Brown reported two ~6 ft circular discs at high altitude near Salmon dam, with motor-truck-like roar.

Witnesses

A. C. Urie · Billie Urie (10) · Keith Urie (8) · L. W. Hawkins · J. H. Brown

The object

Sky-blue oblong disc, ~20x10x10 ft, with side-jet red exhaust, knot/exhaust port visible, daylight visible between flame and body, no smoke/odor

Outcome

Reported in Twin Falls Times-News with Vic Goertzen sketch (15 Aug 1947); FBI Butte (file 65-480) interviewed witnesses

Insurance adjustor Ray A. Switzer (and wife) sees a 4-6 ft long, 10-14 in wide chrome-bright rectangular object descending in a shallow dive at terrific speed, leaving white smoke trail, engulfed in dark gray smoke ~10 ft puff and disappearing completely with no falling debris, ~800 yards in front of his car; following canyon contour. CIC agent B. E. Moon's 26 Aug follow-up at 38°42'45"N 120°47'15"W concluded it could have been a conventional aluminum aircraft viewed at distance.

Witnesses

Ray A. Switzer · Mrs. Switzer

The object

Rectangular chrome-bright object 4-6 ft x 10-14 in, slight curved top; dark gray smoke trail and puff; vanished without trace

Outcome

Inconclusive; no aircraft crashes / forest fires reported in the area

Multiple independent witnesses across two parts of the city report a bluish-white flaming object at >1000 ft moving NE-to-SW with hissing/buzzing sound and short smoke/condensation trail; estimated 400-500 mph; resembled 'a giant firecracker'. ONI / Army Intelligence found no experimental work in the area; a Charles Lennig Chemical Co. dump fire at the time was confined to the plant and could not have been seen externally.

Witnesses

Eleanor Naddle · Cecelia Fine · John Snyder · Mrs. Snyder · John J. Kelly · Mrs. Kelly

The object

Bluish-white flaming object emitting hissing/buzzing, smoke/condensation trail

Outcome

All logical investigation conducted; no further action

A. C. Urie and sons (already detailed above) sighting reported via teletype to FBI Butte by SA Banister; described as 20 ft long x 10 ft wide x 10 ft thick, light sky blue, with flames from sides, terrific speed (~1000 mph) down Salmon River, swish noise.

Witnesses

A. C. Urie · Billie Urie · Keith Urie

Byron B. Savage (RCA field engineer) and wife observe a flat round white disc ~10:1 diameter-to-thickness ratio, ~10,000-18,000 ft altitude, frosty white, three times jet speed, faint swishing; visible 15-20 sec; Savage holds private pilot's license since 1934 and opines 'radically built and powered, probably atomic'.

Witnesses

Byron B. Savage · Mrs. Savage

Two reports investigated and resolved: Bruce Armstrong + ~10 Boeing engineers saw black/triangular leaf-like 'object' over Boeing Field runway — control tower confirmed it was burnt paper blown across the field; M. A. Nichols and neighbors (incl. Ray Stanley with binoculars) saw a cylindrical object reflecting purplish light at ~35,000 ft — attributed by Boeing Field weather bureau to a routinely released weather balloon.

Witnesses

Bruce Armstrong · John H. Stoner · George H. Stoner · Ben Hager · Leroy Perkins · M. A. Nichols · Ray Stanley · Mr. and Mrs. George Krogstadt

Outcome

Both sightings explained (burnt paper / weather balloon)

L. R. Brummett, Sidney Decker, and Mrs. Mamie English see two very bright tapered (belly-tank-shaped) wingless, tail-less, noiseless objects flying NE in formation (one slightly behind/above the other) at 3x normal aircraft speed for 5-8 sec.

Witnesses

L. R. Brummett · Sidney Decker · Mrs. Mamie English

Multiple Logan, Utah witnesses (Andersons, Caldwells, Thunells, Halls) report several groups (one set: dozen pigeon-sized illuminated objects; another: 5 groups of 35-60 yellowish-white objects) circling the city at high speed thousands of feet up.

Witnesses

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Anderson · Mr. and Mrs. Gaylon Caldwell · Mr. and Mrs. Fred Thunell · Mr. and Mrs. Hall

Warden John Henry (Montana State Prison), convict chauffeur Melbourne M. Hill, and Mrs. Henry observe a silver object streaking across the sky, going into a nose dive but disintegrating before reaching the earth and leaving a long pillar of 'gas' that did not blow away — visible while they drove 20-30 miles.

Witnesses

Warden John Henry · Melbourne M. Hill · Mrs. Henry

Outcome

Reported only after press coverage; no further action by Butte Office

Two unnamed Army officers report a sphere-shaped silver/dull-metal object ~2-3 ft (or ~10 ft per second officer) diameter, traveling due south against the wind below ~10,000 ft cloud cover, considerably faster than any plane; visible 15-20 sec; no vapor trail, no spinning.

Witnesses

Two unnamed Army officers (Office of the Director of Intelligence, HQ Alaskan Department, Fort Richardson)

Outcome

No further investigation; date not recorded

Cast-iron metal fragments (~8 in diameter, 3/16 in thick hollow cylinder pieces) found near a railroad track, not from any train/locomotive, subjected to high heat; MIT spectrographic analysis (informant b7D) attributed to 'ordinary cast iron'; one unnamed scientist recalled similar cylinders used in New Mexico guided-missile research but did not exclude other possibilities.

Witnesses

Dean John M. Bunker

Outcome

Treated as 'secret' by MIT but no publicity; case to be closed in Boston Office unless Bureau requested otherwise

A. C. Urie's earlier teletype-reported sighting was followed up: 20 ft long, 10 ft wide, 10 ft thick light sky-blue object at 1000 mph down the Salmon River with flames emanating from sides, loud swish on disappearance.

William Rhoads allegedly photographed flying discs with a 620 box camera; A-2 requested complete FBI / Phoenix interview.

Witnesses

William Rhoads

Richard Sharpe Shaver, featured writer for 'Amazing' magazine, interviewed re telegram to War Department; confirmed his fictional theory that under-earth caverns ('Lemuria') housed a super race that fled to other planets and returns via 'space ships' = flying discs. Indicates Palmer (Ziff-Davis) had told Shaver the FBI would contact him.

Witnesses

Richard Sharpe Shaver