FBI Flying Saucer File: Record Group 65, Case 62-HQ-83894, Section 3 — The Summer of 1947

Source file: 65_hs1-834228961_62-hq-83894_section_3.pdf Originating agency: FBI (Record Group 65) — Case 62-HQ-83894, Section 3 Date range: July 1947 – October 1947 Page count: 190 (all read) High-significance pages: 1–20 (Arnold article and correspondence), 121–140 (Urie incident and Philadelphia reports), 141–160 (FBI vs. Air Force dispute, Hoover letter), 161–180 (laboratory analysis of disc fragments), 181–190 (order to cease investigations — Bureau Bulletin No. 59)

---

Official Blurb (from war.gov)

The FBI's 62-HQ-83894 case file includes investigative records, eyewitness testimonies, and public reports concerning Unidentified Flying Objects and flying discs documented between June 1947 and July 1968. The records include high-profile incident accounts, photographic evidence from sites like Oak Ridge, TN, and technical proposals regarding potential propulsion systems. Additional topics include convention programs, researcher accounts, and extensive media coverage from the period. This file is partially posted on FBI vault with more redactions and some pages missing. Included here is the complete case file with several newly declassified pages and only minor redactions.

Summary

Section 3 of FBI case file 62-HQ-83894 is one of the most historically important documents on the subject of agency independence in investigating unidentified aerial phenomena. It covers the summer of 1947 — the American "summer of saucers" — and records dozens of incidents reported to FBI field offices across the country, while exposing a sharp internal government dispute between the Bureau and the Air Force. The section ends with an unequivocal termination of the Bureau's investigative activity after J. Edgar Hoover himself ordered all such investigations to cease.

---

Research Article

Introduction: Kenneth Arnold and the Opening of the "Saucer Age"

The third section of the FBI's central flying-disc case file opens a unique window onto one of the founding events in UAP history. At the heart of the file are documents directly concerning Kenneth Arnold, a business pilot from Boise, Idaho, who on June 24, 1947, reported nine strange objects observed above the Cascade Range in Washington. Arnold's report coined the term "flying saucer" — when the press translated his description of the objects' motion as like "a saucer skipping across the water."

The file contains the original article Arnold wrote himself — seven detailed pages including hand-drawn blue sketches of the objects he saw. Arnold described nine flat, extremely fast objects moving in a chain along the ridge. The article includes hand-drawn illustrations of two object types: one circular ("top view — bright like silver or a mirror") and one in profile ("like view — appeared black outline as seen against snow of Mt. Rainier"). Arnold noted there was no smoke or vapor trail and estimated the speed at at least 1,200 miles per hour.

The documents reveal that Arnold sent copies of his article both to the Air Force at Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio, and to editor Raymond A. Palmer of "The Venture Press" in Evanston, Illinois. An attached postal return receipt confirms the article reached Palmer on July 31, 1947. On the documents Arnold wrote in his own hand: "This is a copy of the same article I sent to Com General, Wright Field, Dayton Ohio" and "This copy is the same as I sent to Palmer — Ken Arnold."

A document classified CONFIDENTIAL and dated July 1947, signed by Special Agent Frank M. Brown of the 4th Air Force Counter Intelligence Corps (CIC 4th AF), describes an interview conducted with Arnold on July 12, 1947. The agent noted that "it is the personal opinion of the interviewer that Mr. Arnold actually saw what he stated that he saw" and that Arnold's explanations of the distances, speeds, and tracks were consistent with aeronautical map data. Arnold is quoted as saying: "if I saw a ten story building flying through the air I would never say a word about it" — because of the press ridicule that had made him "appear as a moron to a majority of the population."

Arnold's Profile: A Credible Witness

Attached to the file is an exceptionally rare document: "Some Life Data on Kenneth Arnold" — a personal biography Arnold wrote himself, classified CONFIDENTIAL. Arnold, born March 29, 1915, in Sebeka, Minnesota, described himself as a former athlete (member of the U.S. Olympic diving team in 1932), an Eagle Scout before age 14, and a successful businessman selling and installing fire-suppression equipment in five western states. His pilot's license was No. 333467 and his aircraft, a Callair made in Afton, Wyoming, was a mountain-capable craft. He flew between 40 and 100 hours per month and had landed at more than 832 grass strips. In the eyes of the FBI investigators, a man of this character was not the kind of person who invents stories.

The Wave of Reports: From FBI Field Offices Across America

Following Arnold's report, Bureau Bulletin No. 42 of July 30, 1947 directed FBI field offices to investigate every flying-disc report brought to their attention. The result was a wave of reports from offices across the country, all documented in this file:

Seattle — Bruce Armstrong and M.A. Nichols (August 12, 1947): A teletype from the Seattle field office on August 14, 1947 reported that the Seattle Post-Intelligencer had published on two craft sightings. Armstrong, an electronics engineer at Boeing Aircraft, saw a small black object moving about 200 feet above the Boeing landing field. Ten other engineers who witnessed it said it resembled a black leaf in flight, or more like tar paper. FBI investigators established that airport fire-tower control personnel had identified a burned piece of paper carried by the wind. The Nichols observation — an object seen at 35,000 feet above his home — was assessed as probably a weather balloon.

Seattle — L.R. Brummett and Sidney Decker, Redmond (August 13, 1947): Two Redmond, Washington, residents reported two very bright objects moving northeast at 9:00 in the morning. Decker described objects "without wings, without a tail, with both ends tapered," resembling a "belly tank" (an external aircraft fuel tank), and completely silent. Both moved at equal speed for eight seconds and then vanished. Brummett described them as "lighter than aluminum" and three times faster than a conventional aircraft.

Oregon — John Bartlett, Agate Beach (August 7, 1947): A teletype from the Portland field office on August 15, 1947 reported that Bartlett had seen a bright disc-like object at 11:30 at night. Agent Bobbitt assessed the case as warranting further investigation.

Philadelphia — "White-Hot Blue Object" (August 6, 1947): A teletype from the Philadelphia field office on August 7, 1947 (and a detailed second document dated September 18, 1947) described an object observed at 10:45 at night. Sergeant Boardman reported that a former Air Force officer estimated the object's speed at 400–500 miles per hour. The detailed September 18 document names multiple witnesses:

• Eleanor Naddle (2114 Hobart Street) saw a large white object moving very fast to the south, with a hissing sound and grayish smoke.
• John Snyder, an insurance agent and former B-24 Air Force pilot, saw "an object emitting a blue-white flame" moving northeast to southwest at 1,000–3,000 feet altitude and 400–500 mph.
• John J. Kelly, a retired Philadelphia police officer, saw an object resembling a "giant explosion" that passed in one second, leaving a fire trail 100 feet long. The FBI investigated whether the Navy or Army were conducting tests in the area — the answer was negative. The ONI noted there had been an explosion at the Charles Lennig Chemical Company on August 6, 1947 — but the agent determined there was no connection.

Idaho — A.C. Urie and Sons, Snake River Canyon (August 13, 1947): This is one of the most compelling cases in the file. A.C. Urie, owner of a trout farm at Auger Falls six miles west of Blue Lakes Ranch, observed at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 13, 1947, a strange craft streaking through the Snake River Canyon at 75 feet above the canyon floor and at a speed he estimated at 1,000 miles per hour. His two sons — Billy (age 10) and Keith (age 8) — saw it as well.

Urie produced highly detailed drawings that are attached to the file. According to the drawings, the object was sky-blue, 20 feet long and 10 feet tall, with a "hollow red glow" on the upper cap. It was oval from above and below and produced "only a swishing sound as it passed." Urie wrote: "It is my opinion that it is guided by instruments and must be powered by Atomic power as it made very little noise just a swish as it passed by."

The Twin Falls Times-News of August 15, 1947 published the story with a large artistic illustration. The FBI report of August 20, 1947 notes that Urie "appeared completely sincere about the incident" and that the reporter John Brosnan who wrote the story also said Urie appeared completely sincere.

L.W. Hawkins, Twin Falls County Commissioner and former sheriff, also saw two round objects that same day above Salmon Dam 40 miles southwest of Twin Falls at high altitude. J.H. Brown, who was with him, said they heard a noise and could see two aircraft at great altitude.

Alaska — Two Military Officers, Fort Richardson (before September 1947): A document from the Anchorage field office dated September 17, 1947 reports on two officers who submitted reports to the Alaska Department headquarters at Fort Richardson. The first officer saw an object "like a ball" moving very rapidly with no fixed direction — "approximately two or three feet in diameter." The second saw the same object remain in his field of view for 15–20 seconds, moving south against the wind. Both officers agreed the object appeared metallic and silvery. The FBI noted that because the exact date was not provided and the event predated the Bureau's directives, no further investigation would be conducted.

Oklahoma — Byron B. Savage, Oklahoma City (between May 17–21, 1947): A document classified CONFIDENTIAL dated July 24, 1947, signed by CIC officer Kalman D. Simon, describes an interview with Byron B. Savage, a Radio Corporation of America field engineer from Dallas, Texas. Savage saw an object between May 17 and 21, 1947, just after sunset. The object appeared "elliptical" from a distance and "perfectly round and flat" at closer range. The diameter-to-thickness ratio was 10:1, with greater thickness at the center. Altitude: 10,000–18,000 feet. Speed: three times that of a jet aircraft. Savage, who held a pilot's license since 1934, said "he was sure this object was not a meteor and in his opinion it must be radically built and powered, probably atomic."

General Schulgen of Air Force Intelligence asked the FBI to investigate both Savage and Arnold to determine whether either had a subversive background.

Utah — Logan, Multiple Witnesses (September 8, 1947): A document from the Salt Lake City field office dated September 15, 1947 reports that between 10:30 and 11:00 p.m. on September 8, the Gaylon Caldwell and Richard Anderson couples saw approximately 12 objects in formation at 2,000–3,000 feet. Mrs. Fred Thunell saw five groups, each of 35–60 small yellow-white objects circling the city at high speed. Mr. and Mrs. Norman Hall saw the objects moving clockwise over the city at 10:30. The FBI summarized the information as "indefinite" and conducted no further investigation.

Montana — R.J. Madden, Canyon Ferry (July 29, 1947): R.J. Madden, an engineer with Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company, sent a letter to the Military Intelligence Division on August 8, 1947 with a detailed account. While driving 25 miles northeast of Helena, Madden and his companions saw a bright disc at about 3,000 feet altitude that rose and fell over a vertical distance of 50–100 feet for about five seconds and then "swooped to the Northeast at tremendous speed and disappeared into the clear air within a distance of 200 ft." The object appeared like "polished nickel" in the sunlight.

Illinois — Danforth, Mysterious "Device" on a Farm (September–October 1947): A document dated September 23, 1947 reveals a fascinating and strange incident: someone found a mysterious "device" on a farm near Danforth, Illinois. It was sent to Wright Field for analysis. A Mrs. Whedon from Army Engineers claimed the device had been used in "Operation Mogul" (secret balloon experiments). But Wright Field stated the device had no connection to Mogul or to any other research program. Colonel Garrett of the Air Force Intelligence branch determined that Mrs. Whedon "gave a false impression" and that the device was "in all probability just a hoax." Analysis established that the fragments included:

• An old "Nathaniel Baldwin Company" magnetic diaphragm from Salt Lake City (patent from 1910).
• Bakelite bobbin forms wound with copper wire.
• A metal box from an "Polymet Manufacturing Company" filter from New York.
• An unidentified metallic magnetic ring. All items are identified in an official CONFIDENTIAL photograph from Wright Field.

Richard Shaver, Raymond Palmer, and Space Theories

A document dated September 20, 1947 reveals a fascinating episode: the SAC of Chicago reported that Richard F. Shaver, a mystery writer for Raymond Palmer's Amazing magazine, had been investigated. Shaver believed that underground caverns formerly belonging to a "superior race" that had fled to other planets still existed, and he called flying saucers the "space ships" of the returning Lemurians coming to retrieve precious machines. The FBI noted that "the entire flying disc theory was conceived by Palmer and Shaver" possibly to boost magazine sales.

At the same time, the FBI also noted that the mysterious explosion at Murray Island (off the coast of Washington) on June 24, 1947 — the very day Arnold reported his saucers — was brought up in the Chicago Times as evidence of a connection. Two pilots had flown to Hamilton Field, California, with samples of metal "lava oxide" from the site, and the plane had crashed near Hamilton Field.

The Great Dispute: The FBI vs. the Air Force

The most dramatic point in the file is documented on a September 25, 1947 page, an internal memorandum from D.M. Ladd to the Director. It reveals that the Air Force had led the FBI to understand that the Bureau's role was to investigate "discs found on the ground" and not flying saucers in flight, "thereby relieving the Air Forces of running down incidents which in many cases turned out to be 'ash can covers, toilet seats and whatnot.'"

Ladd recommended "that the Bureau vigorously protest" to the Assistant Chief of Air Staff-2 and that the Bureau cease all activity in the field.

On September 27, 1947, J. Edgar Hoover himself wrote a formal and pointed letter to General George C. McDonald, Assistant Chief Air Staff-2 at the Pentagon. Hoover wrote:

"My attention has been called to instructions disseminated by the Air Forces relative to this matter. I have been advised that these instructions indicate that the Air Forces would interview responsible observers while the FBI would investigate incidents of discs found on the ground, thereby relieving the Air Forces of running down incidents which in many cases turned out to be 'ash can covers, toilet seats and whatnot.' In view of the apparent understanding by the Air Forces of the position of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in this matter, I cannot permit the personnel and time of this organization to be dissipated in this manner. I am advising the Field Divisions of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to discontinue all investigative activity regarding the reported sightings of flying discs, and am instructing them to refer all complaints received to the appropriate Air Force representative in their area."

A document dated September 19, 1947 from SAC Harry M. Kimball in San Francisco exposed the internal politics: Lieutenant Colonel Donald L. Springer of the Air Force had covertly shared the Air Defense Command's "restricted letter" with Kimball, who recommended that in any "conversation with the Air Force" they not mention that Springer had shared the letter in order to protect the personal relationship between Springer and the San Francisco field office.

Bureau Bulletin No. 59 — The Official End

The final and dramatic page of the file is Bureau Bulletin No. 59 dated October 1, 1947, partially attached:

"(D) FLYING DISCS — Effective immediately, the Bureau has discontinued its investigative activities as outlined in Section B of Bureau Bulletin No. 42, Series 1947, dated July 30, 1947. All future reports connected with flying discs should be referred to the Air Forces and no investigative action should be taken by Bureau Agents."

This order formally ended FBI involvement in the investigation of flying saucers — at least according to the visible record.

---

Key People

Kenneth Arnold — Business pilot from Boise, Idaho, whose report of 9 objects above Mount Rainier on June 24, 1947, launched the "saucer age." Pilot license No. 333467. His original hand-drawn article and correspondence are in the file.

J. Edgar Hoover — FBI Director who sent a sharp letter to General McDonald on September 27, 1947, and ordered all investigative activity halted.

D.M. Ladd — FBI Assistant Director who drafted the recommendation to withdraw from the investigations and protest to the Air Force.

A.C. Urie — Trout farm owner at Auger Falls, Idaho, who observed at close range (300 feet) a fast blue object passing through Snake River Canyon. He produced detailed hand-drawn illustrations.

Byron B. Savage — RCA field engineer from Dallas who saw an object after sunset in Oklahoma City between May 17 and 21, 1947.

Frank M. Brown — Special Agent, CIC 4th AF, who interviewed Arnold on July 12, 1947, and concluded that Arnold was credible.

Raymond A. Palmer — Editor of Amazing magazine who published Richard Shaver's Lemurian stories. The FBI suspected he was exploiting the flying-disc phenomenon to promote the magazine.

Richard F. Shaver — American writer who believed in the Lemurian theory. Investigated by the FBI.

Harry M. Kimball — SAC San Francisco who transmitted the Air Defense Command letter to Ladd.

General George C. McDonald — Assistant Chief Air Staff-2 at the Pentagon; the addressee of Hoover's letter.

Lieutenant General Stratemeyer — Commander of Air Defense Command who signed the order on FBI–Air Force cooperation.

---

Locations

• Cascade Range, Washington — Arnold's original incident, June 24, 1947
• Snake River Canyon, Idaho — Urie incident, August 13, 1947
• Seattle, Washington — Boeing Field incidents
• Redmond, Washington — Brummett–Decker incident
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania — "White-hot blue ball" incident, August 6, 1947
• Oklahoma City, Oklahoma — Savage incident, May 1947
• Logan, Utah — Multiple-witness incident, September 8, 1947
• Canyon Ferry, Montana — Madden incident, July 29, 1947
• Agate Beach, Oregon — Bartlett incident, August 7, 1947
• Fort Richardson, Alaska — Two-officers incident
• Danforth, Illinois — Discovery of the mysterious device
• Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio — Fragment analysis
• Mitchel Field, New York — Air Defense Command headquarters

---

Incidents

Incident	Date	Location	Pages
Arnold — 9 objects above Cascade	June 24, 1947	Cascade Range, Washington	1–30
Savage — object after sunset	May 17–21, 1947	Oklahoma City, OK	121–125
Urie and sons — Snake River Canyon	August 13, 1947	Snake River Canyon, ID	121–135
Armstrong — object at Boeing Field	August 12, 1947	Seattle, WA	141–145
Brummett and Decker — two objects	August 13, 1947	Redmond, WA	143–146
Philadelphia — Naddle, Snyder, Kelly	August 6, 1947	Philadelphia, PA	147–156
Bartlett — disc at Agate Beach	August 7, 1947	Agate Beach, OR	group 100
Two officers — Fort Richardson	Unknown (before September 1947)	Alaska	149–152
Madden — disc at Canyon Ferry	July 29, 1947	Montana	170–172
Logan, Utah — multiple witnesses	September 8, 1947	Logan, UT	165–168
Warden Henry — silver object above highway	May 5, 1947	Between Ellensburg and Seattle	186–187
Mysterious "device" on Danforth farm	September 1947	Danforth, IL	162–164

---

Notable Quotes

"I cannot permit the personnel and time of this organization to be dissipated in this manner." — J. Edgar Hoover, letter to General McDonald, September 27, 1947, page 155

"The services of the FBI were enlisted in order to relieve the numbered Air Forces of the task of tracking down all the many instances which turned out to be ash can covers, toilet seats and whatnot." — Air Defense Command, September 3, 1947, page 161

"It is my opinion that it is guided by instruments and must be powered by Atomic power as it made very little noise just a swish as it passed by." — A.C. Urie, personal drawing and account, August 1947, page 130

"if I saw a ten story building flying through the air I would never say a word about it" — Kenneth Arnold, after the ridicule he suffered had made him a target, page 140

"It is possible, therefore, that the entire flying disc theory was conceived by Palmer and Shaver." — SAC Chicago to FBI Director, September 20, 1947, page 150

"FLYING DISCS — Effective immediately, the Bureau has discontinued its investigative activities..." — Bureau Bulletin No. 59, October 1, 1947, page 190

---

Significance and Conclusions

This third section of the FBI file reveals several important findings.

First, the summer 1947 reports came from a wide range of witnesses: pilots, engineers, military officers, farmers, and ordinary civilians. A large proportion of them were considered by FBI investigators to be credible and not the type to invent stories.

Second, recurring characteristics appear across the reports: silent or very soft movement, extremely high speeds, absence of wings or tail, round or oval shapes, and a metallic appearance. Some witnesses with aeronautical experience — such as Savage and Snyder — explicitly ruled out conventional jet aircraft.

Third, the FBI–Air Force dispute reveals that the Air Force tried to use the FBI as a "cleaning body" to handle trivial cases while keeping the serious ones for itself. Hoover would not accept this arrangement and ended the Bureau's involvement.

Fourth, the cessation of investigations on October 1, 1947 resolved nothing — it simply transferred responsibility to the Air Force, which subsequently created Project Sign, Project Grudge, and ultimately Project Blue Book.

Fifth, this file — together with the device from Danforth, Illinois — shows that the Air Force was analyzing physical evidence believed to be connected to flying saucers, received at Wright Field for analysis, before declaring the finds a hoax. What those analyzed items actually were remains an open question.

The file as a whole depicts a period of confusion, inter-governmental disagreement, and diverse testimony that would form the foundation for UAP investigations in the decades that followed.