Decades-old FBI UFO files released under President Donald Trump’s disclosure initiative have sparked fresh fascination after revealing strange claims about mysterious flying objects and alleged “crewmen” seen during the 1960s. The files, released on Friday, included reports, photographs, military records and videos connected to UFO sightings and alleged extraterrestrial encounters.
What the FBI files say
The records focus on an internal FBI memo dated October 19, 1966 which was sent from the FBI’s San Francisco office to former FBI Director J Edgar Hoover under the subject line “Unidentified Flying Objects.” According to the Daily Mail, the document said 1965 was described as “the year of the greatest number of UFO sightings,” with reports coming from multiple witnesses around the world.
The FBI summarized reports of metallic flying objects that could hover silently, interfere with electromagnetic equipment and travel at “fantastic speeds.” The file also referred to the book Flying Saucers – Serious Business by Frank Edwards, which the FBI said may have helped increase public interest in UFOs.
According to the document, the book described three main UFO shapes: “1) zeppelin-shaped ships up to 300 feet long; 2) disk-shaped objects ranging from a few feet in diameter to 100 feet, with many reported at about 30 feet in diameter; and 3) egg-shaped objects, which, according to the author, are the ones most recently sighted.”
The document also said the objects could remain motionless in the air before suddenly speeding away. In some cases, the ground underneath was reportedly left scorched after takeoff. According to the Daily Mail, the witnesses mentioned in the file included police officers, military personnel, military and commercial pilots, and civilian defense officials.
One of the most surprising claims in the document involved alleged beings seen near the UFOs. “A few witnesses have reported seeing crewmen who had landed from the objects,” the file stated, describing them as “three and a half to four feet tall, wearing what appear to be space suits and helmets.”
The document also touched on the growing political pressure around UFO sightings at the time. It specifically mentioned future President Gerald Ford, who was then serving as a congressman and was publicly calling for congressional hearings into UFO incidents, according to the Daily Mail.
The memo further noted that the Air Force had commissioned University of Colorado physicist Edward U Condon to conduct a major government-backed study into flying saucers, estimated to cost $300,000 over 18 months which is a sign that the issue was being taken seriously.
Also Read: Inside the UFO files released by Pentagon – Apollo photos to UAP sightings
Crashed wreckage and what was found
The FBI files also mentioned wreckage that was allegedly recovered from crashed flying saucers on at least three different occasions, according to the Daily Mail. The materials were described as a magnesium alloy, pure magnesium and an “exceptionally hard unknown metal.” The document claimed the material contained “thousands of 15-micron metal spheres throughout” and showed signs of micro-meteorite impacts on its surface.
The file also referred to author Frank Edwards’ claim that the US Air Force had “deliberately withheld information and given misleading explanations because it fears a mass panic by the public if the public were told the truth.” According to the Daily Mail, the memo was circulated internally at a time when there was growing public pressure for a civilian-controlled agency to investigate UFO sightings instead of the military.
Tim Burchett, who has supported UFO disclosure for years, reacted to the release on X by writing: “Remember the Feds told us these files didn’t exist and [Donald Trump] stood up to the deep state. The 1st drop will be big, but in comparison to what is coming they will be a drop in the bucket. I would say ‘Holy Crap’ is coming.”
