23857122-0457-180273-0018

OCR Text

plausible explanations for reports not otherwise explainable." Review of ir. Fitt's report reveals that this conclusion is warranted, despite its presumptuous sound. [r. Fitts provided plausible explanations in six specific reports, one agreed with AWS, four agreed with Dr. Hynek, and one Ir. Hynek could not explain and AWS did not mention. GC. U. S. Department of Commerce Weather Bureau (Appendix "H"). The Weather Bureau provided much information on the phen- omenon of ball lightning and lightning in general. These phenomena 7S cannot be ruled out entirely. However, none of the recorded incidents appear to have been lightning. VIe Summary of Results of Consultants It can be stated with certainty that unidenti: many different types of objects and not multiple sightings of the same object or the same type object. It is realized that none of the explanations given constitute positive scientific proof. Such proof might be possible were fragments recovered or were camase to property or injury to personnel sustained in any instance. On the other hand, almost every incident has less than legal proof that an object was seen, or that an object appeared or per= formed as describec. Even in those cases where more than one witness reportec, all witnesses seldom agreed on details. the foregoing, the explanations proviced by consult~ In view of ccepted as solutions to the respective incidents. ing agencies are a Of the 226 incidents under consideration in this report, 30 ust be disrerarded on eect of workable evidence. Eight were extracted from press and radio accounts and are hardly more than rumors. In the investigation of five others, the observers were found to have possessed too vivid imaginations, were of low intelligence, or were morally questionable. It is reasonable to assume that if these thirty inci- cents hac contained sufficient information a proportionate number could be explained as were the 16), incidents that have been explained. With 194 incidents thus eliminated, there remain thirty-four which contain some evidence but have no apparent ready explanation. This statement is true only under the assumption that the evidence is accepted as reliable and ke gle aa When psychological and physio= logical factors are taken into ccnsiceration, all of these incicents can be explained rationally, as pointed out by Rand Corporation and Ire Fitts of Air Materiel Command Aero-Medical Laboratory (see Appendixes "4 and "G"), VII. Summary of ANC Evaluation of Remaining Reports se remaining unexplained incidents (see Appendix "I") exhibited few commori characteristics Two of them, by statements of the reporters, would not have been made ae tie witnesses not read of the !'t. Ranier Declassification Authority: NND 57565