UFO Report

AMC Report: Incident No. 68

Prospector Compass Incident

24 June 1947

Cascade Mountains, Washington

A prospector reported sighting five or six round objects with tails, 1000 ft over head, heading S.W., and banking in the sun. The objects were in sight 45-60 seconds, and alleged to be thirty feet in diameter. They made no noise. While the objects were within sight, the observers compass fluctuated wildly. He states that he read of a former sighting (Incident No. 17) also occurring on 24 June 1947, and submitted this report solely to add credence to the person who provided that story. While there appears to be an attempt on the part of the observer to infer that these objects were possibly the same as those reported in (Incident No. 17), there are several major differences, notably as Dr. Hynek points out (app.B), that these objects had tails, and that the inferred size, as determined from the estimated distance, is quite different. Dr. Valley (App D) has pointed out and Dr. Hynek concurred that it is difficult to take seriously the peculiar action of the compass for this would imply fantastically large magnetic fields.

AMC Opinion: From the limited evidence submitted, it is impossible to reach a definite conclusion. However, two possible psychological factors are readily apparent; one, the observer stated he submitted this report solely because he had read several days following his observation of another sighting. Therefore, he very likely either consciously or inadvertently may have attempted to conform his report to that recounted in the newspaper; and two, he colored his report with inference of huge magnetic fields, as to the implications of which he was obviously uninformed.

Project SIGN

Air Materiel Command