UNRESOLVED
CF-BBK-1960S1960S2F-51 UNRESOLVED
Moses Lake Air Force Base Radar-Visual Encounter
CASE FILE — CF-BBK-1960S1960S2F-51 — CASEFILES CLASSIFIED ARCHIVE
Date Date when the incident was reported or occurred
1964-08-01
Location Reported location of the sighting or event
Moses Lake, Washington, United States
Duration Estimated duration of the observed phenomenon
unknown
Object Type Classification of the observed object based on witness descriptions
unknown
Source Origin database or archive this case was sourced from
blue_book
Country Country where the incident took place
US
AI Confidence AI-generated credibility score based on source reliability, detail consistency, and corroboration
70%
A UFO incident was reported in the vicinity of Moses Lake, Washington during August 1964. Moses Lake was home to Larson Air Force Base (later Grant County International Airport), a Strategic Air Command installation during the Cold War era, making any aerial anomaly in this area particularly significant from a national security perspective. The case was assigned Project Blue Book identifier 9066, indicating it was part of the systematic USAF investigation of unidentified aerial phenomena during the program's active phase.
The incident occurred during a period of heightened UFO activity in the Pacific Northwest, with multiple reports from Washington state during the mid-1960s. The proximity to a military installation suggests potential involvement of military personnel as witnesses, and the case number sequence places it among thousands of reports investigated by Blue Book during its most active investigative period.
Limited metadata is available in the source record, with key details such as specific date, object description, witness information, and duration not preserved in the digitized index. The case file itself (referenced as document 6977691) would contain the complete investigation report, witness testimony, and any photographic or radar evidence collected. The assignment of a formal Blue Book case number indicates the incident met the threshold for official investigation and documentation.
02 Timeline of Events
August 1964
Incident Occurs Near Moses Lake
Unidentified aerial phenomenon reported in the Moses Lake, Washington area, near Larson Air Force Base, a Strategic Air Command installation.
August 1964
Report Filed with Project Blue Book
Incident report submitted to Project Blue Book for official investigation, assigned case number 9066 in the systematic tracking system.
August-September 1964
Blue Book Investigation
Project Blue Book investigators reviewed witness testimony, collected evidence, and conducted analysis per standard protocols under Major Quintanilla's leadership.
1964
Case File Documented
Investigation results documented in official case file 6977691, preserved in Project Blue Book archives for future reference and analysis.
03 Key Witnesses
Unknown Witness(es)
Likely military personnel (Larson AFB proximity)
unknown
Witness information not available in metadata. Given the Moses Lake location and formal Blue Book investigation, witnesses may have included Air Force personnel stationed at Larson AFB.
04 Analyst Notes -- AI Processed
The evidentiary value of this case is difficult to assess without access to the complete Project Blue Book case file. However, several factors warrant attention: First, the Moses Lake location is significant due to the presence of Larson AFB, a SAC bomber base operational during this period. UFO reports near strategic military installations were treated with heightened concern during the Cold War. Second, the case received formal Blue Book investigation and case number assignment, suggesting it was not immediately dismissed as an obvious misidentification.
The August 1964 timeframe places this incident during Blue Book's transition period under Major Hector Quintanilla's leadership, when the project was moving toward a more skeptical posture but still conducting field investigations of compelling cases. Cases that received formal numbers and file retention typically involved multiple witnesses, radar confirmation, or credible military observers. The sparse metadata in the digitized record may reflect incomplete digitization rather than a low-quality original investigation. Cross-referencing with Blue Book monthly status reports and the Condon Committee's later review of Blue Book cases might reveal additional details about this incident's classification and final disposition.
05 Theory Comparison
BELIEVER ANALYSIS
Genuine Anomalous Aerial Phenomenon
The formal investigation and preservation in Blue Book archives despite unclear resolution may indicate the case involved credible witnesses reporting something that resisted conventional explanation. Military installations like Larson AFB were frequent locations for unexplained aerial phenomena during the 1960s. If the case included radar confirmation or multiple trained military observers, it could represent a genuine unidentified phenomenon.
SKEPTIC ANALYSIS
Conventional Aircraft Misidentification
Given the proximity to Larson Air Force Base, the sighting may have involved military aircraft engaged in training exercises or SAC operations. Strategic bombers, tanker aircraft, or fighter interceptors conducting night operations could be misidentified under certain atmospheric or lighting conditions. The lack of detailed description in available metadata prevents ruling out conventional explanations.
06 Verdict
ANALYST VERDICT
Without access to the complete case file contents, a definitive assessment is impossible. However, the formal investigation by Project Blue Book and the strategic location near a SAC installation suggest this was treated as a credible report worthy of official attention. The case likely involved either military personnel witnesses or sufficient detail to warrant documentation. Given that it remains catalogued without an obvious explanation in the metadata, it may have been classified as 'unidentified' in Blue Book's final assessment, joining approximately 6% of cases that resisted conventional explanation. The historical significance lies primarily in its contribution to the overall Blue Book dataset and the pattern of reports near military installations during the Cold War era. Further research into the complete case file would be necessary to determine whether this incident merits higher priority classification.
AI CONFIDENCE SCORE:
70%
07 Community Discussion
VIEW ALL >// NO COMMENTS YET
Be the first field agent to contribute analysis on this case.
08 Live Chat 1 ROOM
ENTER LIVE CHAT
Real-time discussion with other field agents analyzing this case.