1940s: declassified UAP incidents — timeline.

12 UAP cases

The 1940s account for 12 UAP cases in this archive — 12 documents — released by Department of Energy, Department of War, and FBI under the PURSUE program. Reported locations from the decade include New Mexico, Virginia, and Various, among others; some incidents carry no usable location and are excluded from the map. Every year below links to the cases reported in it, and years with enough declassified material get their own dedicated timeline page, linked from the heading. Use the interactive map to see where these incidents cluster, or the knowledge graph to follow a witness, mission or aircraft type across the rest of the archive.

Agencies
Department of Energy, Department of War, FBI
File types
12 documents
Top reported locations
New Mexico, Virginia, and Various

1949 3 UAP cases

A declassified secret transmittal letter from the United States Atomic Energy Commission, dated March 22, 1949, regarding a conference on aerial phenomena.
DOE-UAP-D004

DOE-UAP-D004, Los Alamos Conference on Aerial Phenomena, 1949

DocumentDepartment of Energy1949

This document is a declassified transcript of a March 1949 U.S. Atomic Energy Commission memorandum forwarding minutes of a conference on "Aerial Phenomena" held 16 February 1949 at Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory. Convened amid a wave of

A page from a declassified document showing a hand-drawn sketch, labeled Fig. 9, of a long, cylindrical object with rectangular windows.
DOW-UAP-D094

DOW-UAP-D094, Analysis of Flying Object Incidents in the United States, 1949

DocumentDepartment of War1949

This is Air Intelligence Report No. 100-203-79 / Air Intelligence Division Study No. 203, titled "Analysis of Flying Object Incidents in the U.S.," dated 10 December 1948 and jointly issued by the Directorate of Intelligence, Headquarters U

Stamped Department of Justice file cover.
FBI-UAP-D011

FBI-UAP-D011, D/FBI Correspondence Referral, 1949

DocumentFBI1949

FBI-UAP-D011 is a 4-page piece of FBI correspondence from 1949 (declassified under a 2007 classification guide reference visible on page 1). It centers on a letter dated January 31, 1949, from Rev. Charles C. Barnes, Pastor of a Presbyteria

1948 5 UAP cases

A map of the United States from 1948 showing various symbols plotted across the country, with a legend indicating different types of sightings.
DOW-UAP-D093

DOW-UAP-D093, Analysis of Flying Object Incidents in the United States, 1948

DocumentDepartment of War1948

This is a declassified 10 December 1948 U.S. Air Force study, "Analysis of Flying Object Incidents in the United States" (Study No. 203), produced by the Air Intelligence Division under Project Sign. It analyzes approximately 240 reported s

A black and white photograph of a large, delta-winged aircraft prototype resting on the ground, marked as confidential.
DOW-UAP-D097

DOW-UAP-D097, Project Sign Progress Report, 1948

DocumentDepartment of War1948

This file contains an initial report from the Air Materiel Command regarding Project Sign. Project Sign was a 1948-1949 U.S. Air Force program to investigate the nature and origin of unidentified flying objects (UFO). The report details 100

A collection of UAP reports and documents from a national security site in New Mexico 1948-1950
DOW-UAP-D017

DOW-UAP-D017, UAP Reported at Sandia Base, 1948-1950

DocumentDepartment of War1948

This is a substantial (116-page) collection of official 1948-1950 U.S. Air Force correspondence and reports concerning the famous 'green fireball' phenomena observed in the New Mexico area near Los Alamos, Sandia Base, and Kirtland Air Forc

Declassified Confidential document from the U.S. Air Force.

18_6369445_General_1948_Vol_1

DocumentDepartment of War1948

This file contains memorandums, correspondence, and forms related to the reporting of information on flying discs and investigations into sightings.

Declassified Top Secret document from the U.S. Air Force Directorate of Intelligence.

341_110448_Records_Relating_to_the_Collection_and_Dissemination_of_Intelligence_1948-1955-TS_CONT_No.2_2-5300-2-5399

DocumentDepartment of War1948

This is a declassified U.S. Air Force intelligence file dated 8 November 1948, part of a Top Secret continuation series (No. 2, 2-5300 to 2-5399) titled "Records Relating to the Collection and Dissemination of Intelligence, 1948-1955." It w

1947 3 UAP cases

A declassified 1947 War Department General Staff intelligence review.
DOW-UAP-D099

DOW-UAP-D099, Intelligence Review of “Ghost Rocket” Incidents, 1947

DocumentDepartment of War1947

An 8-page Secret intelligence review, "Ghost Rockets over Scandinavia," published 20 January 1947 by the Intelligence Division, War Department General Staff, Washington, D.C. (Copy No. 597), as part of a periodic intelligence digest. The re

A declassified document regarding "Flying Object Incidents in the United States."
DOW-UAP-D100

DOW-UAP-D100, Air Materiel Command Report on Unidentified Flying Objects, 1947-1948

DocumentDepartment of War1947

A 245-page dossier of Air Materiel Command / Directorate of Intelligence correspondence on the Air Force's 1947-1948 "flying disc" investigation (later Project SIGN); 239 pages are legible, with 6 blank or redacted and one further page cut

Declassified Secret document from Air Materiel Command.

18_100754_ General 1946-7_Vol_2

DocumentDepartment of War1947

This file contains memorandums and correspondence related to flying disc/saucer sightings and that those are a matter of concern for the Air Materiel Command.

1945 1 UAP case

Declassified Air Staff document.

331_120752_Numeric_Files_1944–1945_37153_German_Armament_Equipment_Documents

DocumentDepartment of War1945

This document, titled 'Numeric Files 1944-1945, 37153, German Armament Equipment Documents' (17 pages), appears to be a scanned WWII-era U.S. military intelligence file (National Archives-style numeric file series 331/120752) related to cap