DOW-UAP-D179, Air Intelligence Information Report, Catalina Island, 1952
Key facts
- Official file ID
- DOW-UAP-D179
- Document type
- Document
- Agency
- Department of War
- Released in
- R07 · 2026-10-23
- Incident date
- 6/25/52
- Incident location
- Catalina Island, California
- Coordinates
- 33.3889038, -118.4239288
- Pages legible
- 1/2
- VIRIN
- 260508-D-D0360-1171
Official description
This file contains an Air Intelligence Information Report (AIIR), a standardized U.S. Air Force reporting form used to record raw information of potential intelligence value for later analysis. The form served as a primary vehicle for U.S. Air Force field intelligence collection throughout the early Cold War, until defense-wide reporting standards were established in the early 1960s. This AIIR records a June 25, 1952, incident over Catalina Island, California, in which three Boy Scouts attending a summer camp at Camp Fox reported observing silver “flying saucers” moving at an estimated speed faster than that of a conventional jet. The report also describes the object as climbing quickly before apparently disintegrating. A comment by the preparing officer indicated that no attempt was made to establish the reliability of the report and characterized the experience of the observers as “probably meager at best.” All descriptive and estimative language contained in this report reflects the reporter’s subjective interpretation at the time of the event. Such characterizations should not be interpreted as a conclusive indication of the presence or absence of any intrinsic object features or performance characteristics.
✦ AI summary
This is a U.S. Air Force Air Intelligence Information Report dated 28 August 1952 from the 807th Air Base Group at March Air Force Base, about alleged "flying saucers" near Santa Catalina Island, off southern California. It reports that on 25 June 1952 at about 1200 hours local time, three Boy Scouts from Camp Fox, hiking up one of the island's mountains, saw a silver object with no sound, moving faster than a conventional jet, which made what appeared to be a climbing turn before vanishing "by disintegration". The time observed is not recorded, the sky was clear and no instruments were used. The reporting officer states that no estimate of reliability can be made and that the observers' experience is "probably meager at best"; the report was not sent electronically because of the delay in receiving it. Enclosures listed include letters from the scouts and others, and rough sketches of what they saw.
Generated with AI from the official file — may contain errors.
▸Transcript(1 of 2 pages legible)
[PAGE 1] [Diagram: scanned carbon-copy of a pre-printed Air Force summary/checklist form, low contrast, with two circular black redaction marks and a faint illegible footer line; a DECLASSIFIED stamp is overlaid in the lower right reading "Authority: NND 923007"] Legible typed entries scattered across the form: 25 June 1952 — SANTA CATALINA, CALIFORNIA — 1200 [illegible] — 3 Boy Scouts — One — "Silver object faster than jet, which apparently made a climbing turn before disintegrating." — Disintegrated. The rest of the printed field labels and the right-hand evaluation checklist are too faint to read. [PAGE 2] ,.. ' AF.FORM 112--;•PARl I • 55\F\ED /0 ;,.__ ... APPROVED I JUNE 1948 COUNTRY United States ____;_:_____________,___________.,________---=---------I~r\ ... AIR INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION REPORT Unidentified flying Q,jects Reporting AREA REPORTE!l,ON IFROM (Agn,cgJ i:>outhern California 807th Jir Dase Group, ?rarch Air Force Base DATE-OF REPORT IDATE Of INFORMATION IEVALUATION 28 August 1952 0/A 25 June 1952 ::one SUMMARY: (!i.'nter con.:~e 1ummaru orrep11rt. Gitt signljicance in ji11/Jl one-at11Unct paragmph. Lui fn<l~rti at lou;tr ltfl. B,gn1 Ir.rt ofuporl on AF Form 111-Parl //.) 1.8 This report of alleged ''Flying Saucers" in the vicinity o:f Santa Catalina, which is just off the coast of Southern California., was reported by three (3) Boy Scouts in summer camp (Camp Fox) on 25 June 1952. No report has been made by electrical. mean~ due to the time lag'!n £He receipt ot the informtion at this instal- ~ lation. 2. A swrmary of the description follows: a. The object was silver in color, altitude is uncertain, and speed ~ estimated. to be faster than a. conventional Jet. There was no sound observed. One (1) maneuver was observed which was apparently a climbing turn in:med.iately prior to its disappearance by disintegration. b. The occurrence was at 12'.>0 hours (PSDT). Length of time observed is not recorded. c. The sighting was made by three (3) Boy Scouts during a hike up one of the mountains on Santa Catalina Island. d. No observing instruments of any sort were available. '!'he three (3) observers werE: all in the same group at the time. e. No estimate of the reliability can be attempted by the reporter. The experience of the observers is probably meager at best. f . Sky conditions were clear and unl.i.Dited. No r eports on wind conditions g. A rough sketch is inclosed. on two (2) of the Inclosures of wb4t the observers saw. 4 ____ INCLS. Incl 1. Ltr fr Clyde Vrooman n 2. Ltr fr Howard Howell " 3. Ltr fr Sam Gites " 4. Ltr fr Forrest E. Spriggs dtd l Jul ;2 ois'UIIUIJ!TION Jl.'U>,RlGW1_TCOR ~ vli t;u . .;I\ ~CC: Chief, Air Tech. Intel. Center ==---===·CG, 5t1a }~;;.;;......---....--------- :AT'l'?k AfflAA=-2c, lfriaht-PattJer CO, 12th Air Div NOTE; THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE OF THE UNITED STATES WITHIN THE MEANING OFTHE ESPIONAGE ACT. 50 U. S.C.- 31 ANO 32 AS AMENDED ITS TRANSMISSION OR THE REVELATION OF ITS CONTENTS IN ANY MANNER TO AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON IS PROHIBITED BY LAW. IT MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED IN WHOLE OR IN PART AIR FORCE AGENCIES, EXCEPT BY PERMISSION OF THE DIRECTOR OF INTELLIGENCE. USAF. UNCLASSIF1.::.'
Generated with AI from the official file — may contain errors.
Source: U.S. Department of War / AARO — public domain · war.gov/ufo