CIA-UAP-D021, Analysis of Unconventional Aircraft Sightings, 1955

[PAGE 1] TOP SECRET Approved for Release 2026 ... 1955 SIGNATURE RECORD AND COVER SHEET DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION / SOURCE / CIA CONTROL NO. [illegible] / DOC. NO. [illegible] / DATE DOCUMENT RECEIVED / DOC. DATE [illegible] / COPY NO. [illegible] / LOGGED BY [illegible] / NUMBER OF PAGES / NUMBER OF ATTACHMENTS ATTENTION: This form will be placed on top of and attached to each Top Secret document received by the Central Intelligence Agency or classified Top Secret within the CIA and will remain attached to the document until such time as it is downgraded, destroyed, or transmitted outside of CIA. Access to Top Secret matter is limited to Top Secret Control personnel and those individuals whose official duties relate to the matter. Top Secret Control Officers who receive and/or release the attached Top Secret material will sign this form and indicate period of custody in the left-hand columns provided. Each individual who sees the Top Secret document will sign and indicate the date of handling in the right-hand columns. REFERRED TO / RECEIVED / RELEASED / SEEN BY / OFFICE / SIGNATURE / DATE / TIME [handwritten signature entries, illegible] NOTICE OF DETACHMENT: When this form is detached from Top Secret material it shall be completed in the appropriate spaces below and transmitted to Central Top Secret Control for record. DOWNGRADED TO / BY (Signature) / DATE / DESTROYED / BY (Signature) / WITNESSED BY (Signature) / DATE / DISPATCHED (OUTSIDE CIA) TO / BY (Signature) / OFFICE / DATE FORM NO. 26 (USE PREVIOUS EDITIONS) APR 55 TOP SECRET [PAGE 2] BEST COPY Available [PAGE 3] Regional Meeting [heading, partially illegible] 1. A dispatch from Manila, [station designator illegible], dated 13 October 1955, described the sighting of unconventional aircraft. A check with the sources, one of the informants, was made and it was possible to confirm in several respects the information received in the dispatch. 2. Two observers were flying [or on watch] when they sighted two lights which initially seemed to cross the trail and flew overhead at a high altitude. He failed to observe the body of the object and had no feeling as to whether it was real, an illusion, or something else. His only impression was that it rose vertically and then leveled off in a manner unlike any known aircraft. However, in view of the fact that the aircraft appeared to be quite high (9,000 feet) [reading uncertain], his observations were undoubtedly consistent with [name, illegible]'s remarks that he was too excited to give a detailed account. The fact that no other observer had corroborated his account was also noted, in his opinion, as to the unconventional character of the object. This also tended to confirm the excitement of the local officials following the incident. It is my belief that eyewitness testimony alone could not confirm the existence of any unconventional aircraft. However, he was not in a position to know just what the other members of the party had seen. A more careful evaluation of the other accounts is in order. 3. Two other officers, [name illegible] and [name illegible], are in a group which investigated a sighting at [location illegible]. The group was able to explain almost all of the sightings and reached the conclusion that the phenomena represented no threat to the security of the U.S. Even if the present sightings... [PAGE 4] ...continued [reasoning] were not, it did not seem probable that unconventional aircraft had actually been operating sound in [near] the U.S. The source of this [speculation] is [name illegible], who reports on a program at Avro Aircraft Ltd. of Canada for the development of unconventional, saucer-like aircraft. However, the program is still in the very early [experimental] stages, with work only [months or years] before completion, in the opinion of [name illegible]. He indicated that proposed performance characteristics are, at present, only a very high ceiling (estimated 80,000 [figure uncertain] feet), speeds of 1,500 to 1,800 miles per hour, a range of about 700 miles, and a diameter of [figure illegible] feet with a radius of action of [figure illegible]. A technical [evaluation] of the theoretical claims made would be needed. [Name illegible] is being directed by [organization illegible]. Mr. [illegible] is arranging to obtain the original data for the flying [wing/saucer] program from the group at O[ttawa]/[Malton], World[wide]. [It is understood that General [Samford?] is to report on the status of the Air Force project at the TAC meeting.] H.P. SCOVILLE, JR. [Title illegible] Note 4 DISTRIBUTION: Orig & 1 - fwd; 1 - DD/I; 2 - ABD/SI; 2 - AD/SI