Magazine Summary

NICAP REPORTER

Magazine Issue NICAP Reporter (Gribble) 1960s

Ever wanted to host your own late-night paranormal radio show?

Across the Airwaves · Narrative Sim · Windows · $2.95

You’re on the air. Callers bring Mothman, Fresno Nightcrawlers, UFO sightings, reptilian autopsies, and whispers about AATIP and Project Blue Book. Every reply shapes how the night goes.

UFO & UAP Cryptids Paranormal Government Secrets Classified Files High Strangeness Strange Creatures
The night is long. The lines are open →

Summary

Overview

This issue of NICAP Reporter documents a flurry of UFO sightings in May 1962 across the United States and internationally. Reports include a large, brilliant object seen over Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Georgia, and Indiana; a landed object near Dayton; and a confirmed landing in Argentina. Other sightings describe parachute-shaped objects, disc-shaped craft, and globe-shaped phenomena. The magazine also touches on mysterious radio signals detected in Germany and discusses a dispute with Major Donald E. Keyhoe regarding the use of the NICAP name.

Magazine Overview

Title: NICAP REPORTER
Issue: Volume I Number 1
Date: October 1962
Publisher: NATIONAL INVESTIGATIONS COMMISSION ON AERIAL PHENOMENA
Country: USA
Language: English

Key Articles and Reports

UFO Sightings Across North America and Beyond

The primary focus of this issue is a comprehensive report on numerous Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) sightings that occurred primarily in May 1962. The most prominent report details a massive UFO observed streaking across the night sky over Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Georgia, and Indiana on May 2nd. Witnesses described the object as "as big as a washtub" and "silvery in color." Captain Harold Ekern, an airdrome officer at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, also saw the object and noted its brilliance. O.H. Clark and Jim Mason, both from Dayton, provided further observations, with Mason reporting an object landing near Dayton and describing it as a "round-like ball" that was glowing red and had "a thousand holes in it."

On May 12th, Robert K. Randall, a Boston Patent Lawyer, observed four "sharply outlined, silent, parachute-shaped UFO's" estimated to be 75 feet in diameter. The same day, a rotating UFO reportedly landed 25 miles west of Santa Rosa, Argentina. This landing was later confirmed by the Argentine Air Force, with witnesses reporting occupants leaving and entering the object. A burnt spot on the ground, 18 feet in diameter, was found at the landing site. In the same province, seven objects in formation were observed moving from north to south.

Further sightings include:

  • May 16th: Col. William Mills of Walla Walla, Washington, observed a strange UFO through a telescope for 30 minutes.
  • May 21st: Captain Gordon Pendleton and First Officer Peter Murphy, flying an Aer Lingus-Irish Inter-National airliner at 17,000 feet over Brecon, Wales, saw a mysterious globe-shaped UFO. Pendleton described it as having "neither wings nor engines," being "brown in color with irregular protrusions all over it--like radio antarnae," and travelling at approximately 600 mph. The British Air Ministry suggested it might be a meteorological balloon, a theory Captain Pendleton implicitly rejected.
  • May 21st: Heinz Kaminsky, head of the Bochum Peoples Observatory in Germany, reported picking up mysterious radio signals.
  • May 21st: Residents of Los Angeles and Orange Counties, California, were reportedly terrified by four violent aerial explosions that caused plaster cracks and shattered plate glass windows.
  • May 21st: The greater Seattle area in Washington state witnessed a brilliant UFO at 9:48 p.m., described by Paul Babcock as "six times as bright as a shooting star."
  • May 25th: Four photographs of a circular, dark, disc-shaped UFO were taken as it passed over Burlington, Massachusetts. The pictures were noted as badly underexposed.
  • May 28th: Two UFOs, described as "each looking bigger than the moon," were observed for 15 minutes by Herbert A. Beattie in Castlehill, North Ireland.
  • May 28th: UFOs were observed from many points in Western Canada and Northwestern United States. A gigantic object travelling southwest over Fort Assiniboine, Alberta, Canada, was seen by F. Barr. Similar objects were observed moving southwest over Fort Macleod, Alberta. Alan McQuarrie, head of the weather bureau at McCall Field, Calgary, Alberta, saw a "greenish-blue", round UFO travelling rapidly from north to south.
  • May 28th: Residents of Alberni, British Columbia, observed a brilliant object cross the sky, accompanied by a violent aerial explosion. Mrs. Earle G. English of Chemainus, B.C., observed a huge yellow, ball-shaped object. Residents of Kelowna, B.C., also saw a UFO streak across the sky.
  • May 28th: A gigantic, multi-colored oblong object moved slowly in a perfectly level flight over Vancouver, B.C., between 10:40 and 10:45 p.m., observed by thousands. A control tower employee at Vancouver International Airport described it as "as big as an aircraft hanger." Baseball fans and players at Capilano Stadium panicked. Near New Westminster, B.C., the UFO caused a small panic at the Cascades drive-in theatre.
  • May 28th: John Lium, U.S. Customs official at Blaine, Washington, observed an object he stated was "no meteor" and had "all the appearances of being powered," passing overhead at about 400 feet without sound.
  • May 28th: Sheriff Dick Nickell of Chelan County, Washington, observed a greenish-white object moving on a "perfectly flat trajectory" with a high-pitched whistle.
  • May 28th: In Okanogan, Washington, a pilot reported seeing at least a dozen UFOs in a row moving swiftly across the sky.
  • May 28th: A UFO was observed for 20 seconds in Spokane, Washington, moving from north to south. Sightings were also reported from Walla Walla, Yakima, and Pasco, Washington, with objects reportedly traveling twice the speed of Echo I satellite.
  • May 28th: A huge UFO passed over Lewiston, Idaho, observed for 5 minutes. Many residents of Wasco County, Oregon, observed a large UFO moving southeastward, appearing to break up into "chunks."

Scientific and Technological Developments

Scientists are reportedly conducting extensive experiments with dolphins, claiming these fish can communicate at speeds about ten times faster than human speech. The purpose of this research is to help scientists learn how to communicate with "other beings."

Miscellaneous Items and Publications

  • Radio Signals: On the night of May 28th, scientists in Germany and Denmark reported picking up mysterious radio signals and voices from space.
  • Dispute with Major Donald E. Keyhoe: The report addresses a "slanderous attack on the editor" by Major Donald E. Keyhoe, director of the "flying saucer club of Wash., D.C.," whose organization's name is similar to NICAP. The article refutes charges of erroneous use of the NICAP name and accuses Major Keyhoe of "outright prevarication," offering $1,000 to anyone who can prove Keyhoe's claims about the chairman of the Washington State Subcommittee.
  • UFO-Related Publications:
  • Pictures of UFOs appeared in the June 7th edition of the Sherman County Herald-Goodland, Kansas, and the April 25th edition of the News Press-Newport Beach, California.
  • An article titled "THE MYSTERY OF THE LOST PATROL" appeared in the April edition of The American LEGION Magazine.
  • An article titled "BIG TRY FOR COSMIC CONVERSATION" appeared in the July edition of TRUE magazine.
  • Recommended Organizations and Books:
  • A highly recommended UFO organization is AERIAL PHENOMENA RESEARCH ORGANIZATION in Tucson, Arizona.
  • A recommended book is "THE GREAT FLYING SAUCER HOAX" by Coral Lorenzen, Director of AERIAL PHENOMENA RESEARCH ORGANIZATION.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the prevalence and variety of UFO sightings, the detailed reporting of witness testimonies, and the investigation of potential physical evidence such as landing traces. The editorial stance appears to be one of serious inquiry into UFO phenomena, as evidenced by the detailed reporting and the defense against accusations from Major Donald E. Keyhoe, suggesting a commitment to factual reporting within the UFO community. The publication also promotes other organizations and literature within the field.

Visibility was unlimited...it had neither wings nor engines...brown in color with irregular protrusions all over it--like radio antarnae...I would say it was travelling at about 600 mph. There does not seem to be any rational explanation for it.

— Captain Pendleton

Key Incidents

  1. May 2ndKentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Georgia, Indiana, Atlanta, Hopkinsville, Cincinnati, Dayton

    A huge, brilliant, silvery UFO streaked across the night sky, observed by multiple witnesses including an Air Force officer. An object was also reported to have landed near Dayton.

  2. May 12thnear Santa Rosa, Argentina

    Four sharply outlined, silent, parachute-shaped UFOs were observed. A rotating UFO landed 25 miles west of Santa Rosa, confirmed by the Argentine Air Force, leaving a burnt spot on the ground.

  3. May 16thWalla Walla, Washington

    A strange UFO was observed through a telescope for 30 minutes.

  4. May 21stBrecon, Wales

    A mysterious globe-shaped UFO was seen by pilots of an Aer Lingus airliner at 17,000 feet, described as brown with irregular protrusions and travelling at high speed.

  5. May 21stBochum, Germany

    Mysterious radio signals were picked up by the Bochum Peoples Observatory.

  6. May 21stLos Angeles and Orange Counties, California

    Four violent aerial explosions occurred, causing plaster cracks and shattering windows.

  7. May 21stgreater Seattle area, Washington

    A brilliant UFO was witnessed, described as six times brighter than a shooting star.

  8. May 25thBurlington, Massachusetts

    Four photographs were taken of a circular, dark, disc-shaped UFO passing overhead.

  9. May 28thCastlehill, Augher County, Tyrone, North Ireland

    Two UFOs, each looking bigger than the moon, were observed for 15 minutes.

  10. May 28thFort Assiniboine, Alberta, Canada

    A gigantic object travelling southwest was observed for 30 seconds.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the main UFO event reported in the October 1962 NICAP Reporter?

The main event reported was a large, brilliant UFO streaking across the night sky over Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Georgia, and Indiana on May 2nd, described by witnesses as 'as big as a washtub'.

Were there any reported UFO landings?

Yes, one witness reported an object landing near Dayton, Ohio, and described finding a 'round-like ball' in a field. Additionally, a rotating UFO reportedly landed 25 miles west of Santa Rosa, Argentina, and was confirmed by the Argentine Air Force.

What is the significance of the dispute mentioned with Major Donald E. Keyhoe?

The dispute concerns the alleged misuse of the NICAP name, with Major Keyhoe, director of a similar organization, being accused of misrepresenting the chairman of the Washington State NICAP Subcommittee.

What other types of aerial phenomena were reported?

Reports included silent, parachute-shaped UFOs, cigar and disc-shaped objects, a mysterious globe-shaped UFO, and violent aerial explosions that shattered windows.

In This Issue

People Mentioned

  • Captain Harold Ekernairdrome officer
  • O.H. Clarkwitness
  • Jim Masonwitness
  • Robert K. RandallBoston Patent Lawyer
  • Col. William Millswitness
  • Captain Gordon PendletonFirst Officer
  • Peter MurphyFirst Officer
  • Heinz Kaminskyhead of the Bochum Peoples Observatory
  • Paul Babcockwitness
  • Herbert A. Beattiewitness
  • F. Barrwitness
  • Alan McQuarriehead of the weather bureau
  • +7 more

Organisations

  • NICAP
  • Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
  • Argentine Air Force
  • British Air Ministry
  • Bochum Peoples Observatory
  • Aer Lingus-Irish Inter-National
  • The American LEGION Magazine
  • TRUE magazine
  • AERIAL PHENOMENA RESEARCH ORGANIZATION
  • National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena

Locations

  • Kentucky, USA
  • Ohio, USA
  • Tennessee, USA
  • Georgia, USA
  • Indiana, USA
  • Atlanta, USA
  • Hopkinsville, USA
  • Cincinnati, USA
  • Dayton, USA
  • Southern Hills, USA
  • Santa Rosa, Argentina
  • La Pampa Province, Argentina
  • Walla Walla, USA
  • Brecon, Wales
  • +6 more

Topics & Themes

UFO SightingsAerial PhenomenaWitness TestimoniesInvestigative ReportingUFOUnidentified Flying ObjectsightingswitnessKentuckyOhioTennesseeGeorgiaIndianaArgentinaWalesCanadaUSAradio signals