SUN 46 (July 1997)

Magazine Overview

Title: Skeptics UFO Newsletter
Issue: SUN #46
Date: July 1997
Publisher: Philip J. Klass

New Research Suggests Kenneth Arnold's UFOs Were Meteor-Fireballs

The lead article by Philip J. Klass explores new research suggesting that Kenneth Arnold's famous 1947 UFO sighting might have been a stream of glowing meteor-fireballs rather than alien craft. This theory is sparked by San Francisco Examiner science writer Keay Davidson, who spoke with SUN's editor. The research, referencing O. Richard Norton's book "Rocks from Space," notes that meteorite falls peak around 3 p.m., the time of Arnold's sighting, and that June sees a high number of meteorite entries in the northern hemisphere. Arnold's original description of the objects dipping and flashing in the sun, reflecting light, is consistent with meteor fragments. The article also notes that Arnold's original report to the Air Force emphasized the length of the objects being about 20 times their width, which aligns with the tail of a meteor-fireball, though Arnold himself noted the lack of a visible tail.

The American Airlines Flight #112 Incident

The newsletter recounts a 1969 incident involving the flight crew of American Airlines flight #112, who encountered a squadron of four UFOs. This sighting was corroborated by crews of an eastbound United Airlines jetliner and an Air National Guard fighter pilot. The brightness of these objects was also attributed to sunlight reflecting off metal. However, an analysis of a photograph taken by newspaper photographer Alan Harkrader revealed the squadron to be a fragmenting meteor-fireball. The Smithsonian Center for Short-Lived Phenomena determined its trajectory to be approximately 125 miles north of St. Louis, suggesting that even experienced pilots can have flawed recollections of unfamiliar phenomena.

Arnold's Original Report and Meteor Showers

The article emphasizes relying on Arnold's original account to the Air Force, noting his description of objects about 20 times their width, consistent with meteor-fireballs. It questions Arnold's precise time estimates, suggesting that focusing on unusual objects while flying might make accurate clock-watching difficult. The newsletter cites examples of meteor showers, including the June Draconids/Bootids, and a significant fireball event on August 10, 1972, visible for about a minute. It also references a large meteor shower on February 9, 1913, described as a parade of tadpole-shaped fireballs lasting for approximately 3.3 minutes, based on observer estimates.

"Roswell Initiative" Sponsor Jeffrey Concludes: No Crashed Saucer

Kent Jeffrey, who garnered over 20,000 signatures for a "Roswell Initiative" petition, has publicly stated his conviction that there was no Roswell crashed saucer. Jeffrey's change of stance is detailed in the MUFON UFO Journal. He explains that the objective was to find the truth, which turned out to be different from his initial expectations. Jeffrey funded his own investigations, including hiring a law firm to counsel alleged ET-body witnesses, only to find one witness whose testimony was deemed unbelievable. He also interviewed over 700 former members of the 509th Bomb Group based at Roswell in mid-1947, none of whom had heard of an ET craft recovery at the time. Jack Ingham, a retired Lt. Colonel from the 509th, stressed that such an event would have been widely known. Jeffrey also arranged for Dr. Jesse Marcel to undergo regressive hypnosis, which, while eliciting memories, did not create new details about the debris. The recovered debris is described as mundane, consisting of metallic foil, a beam, and plastic-like substance, reconcilable with debris from a Project Mogul balloon train, specifically an ML-307 radar reflector. The color of symbols on the debris is noted as identical to what Air Force meteorologist Irving Newton remembered seeing in Gen. Ramey's office.

Influence of "Secret" Letters

Jeffrey's views were also influenced by "Secret" and "Top Secret" letters from 1947-48, including one from Col. Howard McCoy in 1948, stating that the exact nature of UFOs could not be established until physical evidence from a crash was obtained. The newsletter criticizes some Roswell researchers for ignoring or misinterpreting such data.

France's "Impressive" Trans-en-Provence UFO Case Is Debunked

The newsletter thoroughly debunks the Trans-en-Provence UFO case, which occurred on January 8, 1981. The case, initially summarized in Don Berliner's "UFO Briefing Document" as "the most thoroughly scientifically documented CE-II ever investigated," is critically examined by French UFOlogist Eric Maillot. Maillot's investigation, part of the book "UFOs: 1947-1997," reveals significant flaws in the GEPAN investigation. Investigators did not interview the witness, Renato Niccolai, until 40 days after the incident, and ignored discrepancies in his account. Niccolai's report of a hovering UFO leaving skid marks was questioned, especially since the UFO was not rotating and the skid marks were circular. The investigation's focus on plant samples is criticized for lacking a strict protocol, with samples collected clumsily by "amateurs." The analysis by biochemist Michel Bounias, who had no expertise in plant pathology, concluded that plants underwent accelerated aging, possibly due to an electric energy field or pulsed microwaves, a theory linked to physicist Dr. Jean-Pierre Petit. Bounias refused a scientific debate when challenged by a Belgian plant pathologist, and GEPAN's director, Jean-Jacques Velasco, allegedly hushed up the dispute.

Hoax and Misinterpretation

Maillot concludes that the Trans-en-Provence case is a "tall tale" intended as a practical joke. He also points to a 1987 French case where a youth claimed to have recorded a UFO's sound, and plant samples showed similar effects to those in the Trans-en-Provence case, but this was later proven to be a hoax. Maillot suggests that GEPAN, with the help of other scientific actors, created a "classic status" case from uncertain testimony.

Will MUFON, CUFOS, FUFOR Inform Their Members and Congress?

The newsletter questions whether leaders of pro-UFO organizations like MUFON, CUFOS, and FUFOR, who endorsed the Trans-en-Provence case, will inform their members about Maillot's expose. It notes that several contributors to the "UFOs: 1947-97" book, including Wim Van Utrecht, Karl Pflock, and Hilary Evans, have become increasingly skeptical.

UFOlogy's Cloudy Crystal Ball

This section reflects on past predictions about government UFO disclosures. It recalls a 1977 prediction by U.S. News & World Report that the government would make "unsettling disclosures" about UFOs, which SUN's editor challenged with 100-to-1 odds, asserting that the government had no such disclosures to make. The newsletter also mentions President Jimmy Carter's past statements about believing in UFOs and promising to release classified information if elected.

Karl Pflock's Evolving Stance on Roswell

Karl Pflock's prediction from March 1993 regarding Congressional hearings on Roswell is revisited. Pflock clarifies that he has never believed a UFO crashed near Roswell, though in 1992 he considered it possible. By mid-1955, he was convinced it had not happened. His 1994 "Roswell In Perspective" report initially stated he believed Glenn Dennis' ET-body autopsy testimony was truthful, but by January 1997, he wrote to Dennis stating his current views. Crashed-saucer believers have accused Pflock of being a covert government disinformation agent due to his past CIA employment and Pentagon role.

SCAMeraman Changes Tale To Try To Correct Earlier Flaw

The newsletter highlights discrepancies in the account of the cameraman for the alleged Santilli Controversial Autopsy Movie (SCAM). The cameraman's revised timeline for processing the film, placing it around August 1947, conflicts with earlier statements and the timeline of the separation of the Army and Air Force. A federal court in Los Angeles has deferred a decision on copyright infringement litigation related to the SCAM videos.

Friedman Tries To Hide MJ-12 Contradictions

Stanton Friedman's book "Crash At Corona" is discussed, where he claims a second crashed saucer was recovered from the Plains of San Agustin. Friedman admits a possible flaw in the MJ-12 document regarding this recovery, suggesting it might have been omitted from a briefing paper. In his later book, "TOP SECRET/MAJIC," Friedman allegedly avoids mentioning this contradiction. The newsletter speculates that Rear Adm. Hillenkoetter, who allegedly wrote the Eisenhower briefing document, may have confused the location of the Plains of San Agustin.

Short Shrift

• Prof. Charles B. Moore honored: Moore, known for launching weather balloons and radar targets on June 4, 1947, which crashed on the Brazel ranch, received the Otto C. Winzen Lifetime Achievement Award for 1997 for his work on Project Mogul balloons, not for launching a "crashed saucer."
• Rumors of Kent Jeffrey's New Roswell Views Trigger Shockwaves on Internet: Jeffrey's change of heart on the Roswell Incident has led to accusations from crashed-saucer believers, such as Bob Shell, who suggests Jeffrey might be a debunker.
• A CASE OF "SOUR GRIPES"?: Shell's comments may stem from Jeffrey's earlier denouncement of the Santilli film as a hoax in 1995, while Shell endorsed it. The newsletter quotes Charles Peguy on the responsibility of speaking truth.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The Skeptics UFO Newsletter, edited by Philip J. Klass, consistently adopts a skeptical stance towards UFO phenomena. The publication aims to provide prosaic and terrestrial explanations for reported sightings and incidents. Recurring themes include the re-examination of classic UFO cases through a critical lens, the debunking of alleged evidence such as the Santilli autopsy film and the Trans-en-Provence case, and the questioning of the validity of claims made by prominent UFO proponents. The newsletter emphasizes scientific analysis, logical reasoning, and the importance of accurate reporting, often highlighting inconsistencies and flaws in witness testimonies and investigative methods. The editorial stance is clearly against the acceptance of extraterrestrial explanations for UFO phenomena without rigorous proof, favoring conventional explanations such as meteors, hoaxes, misidentifications, and psychological factors.