CIA-UAP-D020, Memorandum on Unconventional Aircraft Sightings, 1955
▮ AI SYNOPSIS · Sonnet 4.6
This CIA memorandum, dated November 1955, summarizes a debriefing conducted by the Agency's Office of Scientific Intelligence concerning a UAP sighting that occurred in 1955 near Alyaty, Soviet Azerbaijan, along a train route between Baku and Tbilisi. The four witnesses were U.S. Senator Richard Russell, Colonel Hathaway (a U.S. military officer), and two other U.S. government officials. Witnesses reported observing a luminescent greenish-yellow ball rising rapidly after dark, with rotating or whirling motion during ascent. Accounts varied: Russell and one other saw only the luminescent ball, while Hathaway and another observer described more structural detail. Hathaway stated the object resembled no aircraft, rocket, or missile he had seen. The document was authored by Herbert Scoville Jr., Assistant Director for Scientific Intelligence.
The document is notable as one of the few UAP-related records involving a sitting U.S. Senator as a direct witness. Hathaway's testimony is singled out as the only account that could support the existence of unconventional craft; the memo's overall conclusion attributes the sightings to conventional steep-climbing aircraft or missiles. Names and some details appear partially obscured by OCR degradation. A companion analysis document, CIA-UAP-D021, reportedly contains a contemporary technical assessment of the same incident.
โฎ TOP WORDS IN THIS DOCUMENT
This memorandum summarizes a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) debriefing of a group of four individuals who reported observing a โflying saucerโ or โunconventional aircraftโ in 1955. The group, which included U.S. Senator Richard Russell, a U.S. military service member, and two U.S. Government officials, reported observing a luminescent โgreenish-yellowโ phenomenon, as seen from aboard a train while traveling within the Soviet Union, in present-day Azerbaijan, between Baku and Tiflis (Tbilisi, Georgia). The document concludes by stating that the observation can โprobably be explained as steep climbing aircraft or missiles,โ and that โthe evidence does not appear sufficiently firm to warrant the conclusion that the Soviets have developed [โฆ] a radically new type of aircraft.โ The document โCIA-UAP-D021โ contains a contemporary analysis of the incident.
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A-4
A9
MOCRATUM 10R: Director of contral Intelligence
SUBJECK
: Sebting of Plying sencers or Unconventional Miraratt
2. The party use trapalling by train tron beta to Tillia at
be apnelile requent of Sarator Funnall the tried to une ril
rungortation wienener it was at all fannible, the alchtings ver
nutad about ten minates bayoad Alyaty at 1910 hore we it wus
alraady derk.
vith the lights out von la noted a mall Ereezinh yellon gloriag
ball rialse quite rapidly. la tatormod the other membere of the
patty who were occupying lim ottur euparteant and a few ninter
Later they too observed mother offoct.
3. Senator Funnell never any the torn of the objact only the
lusinancent ball, I. Atres son saly two liette revambling eyes.
tolinal fatheray on a atadory object kith a slogin light in the
addaie at the top and s rotating light or lights aintlar to extausts
at the base. Sonator hussall had the inpronsion that the objeet
coule here born on mall as a rottet although there vere no objecto
available to produce a satiafactory scale and no trail ma left by
the rining ball. In. Uras nal Calmei Mathay considered the else
of the object to be emparable to that of a l. &. jet figiber.
lenever, Colonel latharay bolleven that the object did not reuble
my atrerait, rocket or nissile that be hud ever son. All oberivers
agree on the ingerension that the object mus rotatlug or whirlins
during its rise along ita initial stony trejoetory.
Neitber Senator
rusoell nor i. dros noted ay chiage in this trajectory, but
colonel linthuray and M. tiran stated that the objoct altered
Its petter to baritantel lliget quito sharply, lesther senator
Russell, Colonel Inthouty nor i. Firen eun any oafacte on the
ground with the excaption of tie sourch light, bat Me. dras
reportet the prozence of a triangular object vith thine ligita
which ippeared to be ejectad fron a lasaching alte.
4. Based on the interviens so far, the only testimony watch
would support the existence of flying tuters or radleally
uncurventional aircralt to thist of Colouel lathasy, All other
I. S. 115405
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=**?
LETT: Bightings of Flying latcere or Inconventional Alretert
observations ron probably be explaised us ettey climbing airerait
ot mianiles, intber disrassions vill probably do required before
the matter can be camietely rescived, in the noastino, somerer,
the evidence does aot opponr surficiently fin to rescut the
conclusion that the Seriate have developed and have in uperation
a radically new type of atrereit.
KRAKE SCOTILLE, JR.
Assistert Director
Scientifle Intelligence
OSI: EScoville:ge (31 October 1955)
Distribution
Orig & 1 - fud
1 - DD/I
1 - OCI
1 - ASD SI
1 - GM/SI
2 - AD/SI
9-5. 15485
00p8 052
-P.-
