NICAP Reporter - Vol 1 No 10 - 07 1963 - No 10

Magazine Overview

Title: N. I. C. A. P. REPORTER
Issue: Vol. 1 No. 10
Date: July 1963
Publisher: National Investigations Commission on Aerial Phenomena

This issue of the N.I.C.A.P. Reporter focuses on a significant number of reports concerning unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) and possible related incidents, primarily from March 25, 1963. The cover prominently features a quote from the U.S. Air Force stating that, to date, no UAP has indicated a threat to national security.

Reports of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena and Possible Related Incidents

The bulk of the magazine is dedicated to detailed eyewitness accounts of UAP sightings. These reports span multiple states, including Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and North Carolina.

New Jersey and Connecticut Sightings (March 25, 1963):

• Orange, Connecticut: A witness, J.R.L., reported hearing a loud sound and seeing a fiery ball with a streak moving from south to north. The streak was described as having uneven, rough edges, not like fireworks. The object disappeared after about a minute.
• Ansonia, Connecticut: A security guard with Pinkertons National Detective Agency described seeing an object shaped like a pear, traveling fast and shooting off red and bluish flame as it approached the guard house. It then burned out, leaving nothing in the sky. The witness compared it to a long, high fly ball.
• Dover, Delaware: Carl R. Reimer, manager of a W.T. Grant store, reported seeing a strange light, similar to lightning but lasting longer, crossing the sky at a low altitude and disappearing to the southeast. Another report from Frederica mentioned a similar light and an explosion, possibly from a downed jet.
• Wilmington, Delaware: A private pilot, C.C.T., flying at 3500 feet, observed the entire sky light up with a greenish-blue glow. He then saw a glowing object in its burn-out phase, turning from green to red, with a flight path from north/northwest to east. The duration was estimated at 25-40 seconds.
• Long Island, New York: Multiple reports from Suffolk police and State Parkway police mentioned "lights in the sky." Dr. Lang of Port Jefferson reported a streak plummeting into the Long Island Sound. Victor Agne described an object moving "five times the speed of a jet plane," calling it a UFO, circular, and emitting white fire streaks.
• Wayne, Pompton Lakes, and Oakland, New Jersey: A bright object, described as green with red sparks, was seen. Wayne Patrolman David Gilmore received a call about a "fireball in the sky." An Oakland policeman noted an object appearing to travel over Wayne near the American Cyanamid building. Hackettstown police received calls about a "yellow, cigar-shaped fireball."
• Newark Bay, New Jersey: R.C. witnessed a moderately moving, glowing object that looked like part of a fireworks celebration but had a definite shape with pink, blue, green, and white coloring, surrounded by a white, smokey mist. It lasted about thirty seconds.
• Jersey City, New Jersey: Salesman Dudley C. Troy described seeing a "giant pinwheel" object, fiery red, revolving like a lighted ferryboat, over Caven Point. Another witness, I.S., saw an orange light that grew into a large ball of filmy bluish, fiery cloud, whirling and leaving a train of sparks, disappearing near the U.S. Army Caven Point Reserve Center.
• Alpine, New Jersey: Fred Ottaviano described a bright object that "came down like a giant teardrop," very beautiful and white with sparks, plunging from the sky. Searches by police and reporters found no trace.

East Coast Sightings (March 25, 1963):

• Metuchen, New Jersey: L.A.G., an airline pilot with over twenty years of flying experience, observed a sudden bright green fireball at an estimated azimuth of 270 degrees, trailing a tail of fire that alternated colors and faded out. He described it as the brightest phenomenon he had ever observed.
• Maryland: A fireball lit up switchboards. George Harpold of Mt. Savage reported an unusual large glowing object over Cumberland. The FAA listed reports of a brightly-lit object near Westminster, Maryland, under "U.F.O."
• Baltimore, Maryland: W.H.P. reported a flashing greenish-white light that illuminated the surroundings. He observed an object traveling overhead from northwest to southeast, leaving a tail of fire and emitting sparks, similar to a skyrocket.
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: A brilliant colorful object flashed across the sky. Yvonne Venters, 13, described it as white with a long tail, turning green, yellow, and blue as it disappeared. Christie Urvack, an electronics engineer for the Air Force, described it as having a luminous blue-green surface with an orange tail and "pieces breaking off."
• Edwardsville, Pennsylvania: Mrs. J.L. reported seeing a very large ball of fire shoot across the sky, leaving a long trail of light that seemed like smoke or clouds, described as a "big bright beach ball with a long tail."
• Norfolk, Virginia: Mrs. E.R.W. saw a bright ball of fire appear in the sky, which then sprouted a tail and veered northeast. The U.S.S. Papago (ATF-160) reported a blue-white flaming object that exploded, showering particles. J.W.P., a private pilot, saw a burning object, about the size of a grapefruit, with tongues of flame and a tail, which burned out to the northeast.
• North Carolina: A fiery object blazed a trail across the state. Highway patrol officials reported it seen about 10:30 p.m., with numerous calls seeking information. Some near Durham reported the object plunged to earth.
• Norfolk, Virginia: Prof. Albert I. Godden described a "solid white mass with the size and appearance of a full moon in the fall," with a red tail about 20 times its diameter. He and his wife saw it moving northeast.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring theme throughout this issue is the prevalence of UAP sightings, particularly concentrated on March 25, 1963. The descriptions vary widely, but common elements include bright lights, fiery appearances, unusual shapes, and rapid or erratic movements. The editorial stance, as indicated by the cover quote from the U.S. Air Force, is that these phenomena, at the time of publication, were not considered a threat to national security. The magazine serves as a repository for these eyewitness accounts, aiming to document and perhaps investigate these occurrences.