DISCLOSURE / FILE
A November 20, 1963 Department of State cable from the U.S. Embassy in Rio de Janeiro reports that a claimed unidentified object near Conde, Bahia was not substantiated by local inquiry or press reporting.
DOS-UAP-D002, Diplomatic Cable, Brazil, November 20, 1963
A November 20, 1963 Department of State cable from the U.S. Embassy in Rio de Janeiro reports that a claimed unidentified object near Conde, Bahia was not substantiated by local inquiry or press reporting.
The Embassy relayed Consul Harold Midkiff's report from Salvador that the story of a strange object descending near Conde, Bahia was "apparently fabricated in Rio" and that no object had been verified locally. The cable says reporters and others went to the area before investigation reports arrived and found no confirmed sighting. It also cites Salvador newspaper clippings, including a Ministry of Aeronautics denial that there was any strange object in Conde.
Negative Report on UFO (Unidentified Flying Object) Reportedly Sighted Near Salvador, Bahia on November 8, 1964.p.1
Information copies of the above Embtel were sent to the Department with the request that they be passed to Defense (for the Air Force) and NASA.p.1
Story of strange object descending in region of Conde Bahia apparently fabricated in Rio no such objects seen by anyone in the area according to newspaper reporters and others who rushed there before investigation reports were received Secretary Public Security speculated object might be weather balloon but no such sighting verified.p.1
The first of these states that the Ministry of Aeronautics categorically denies that there was any "strange object" in Conde.p.1
The other is entitled "The Airship that wasn't there".p.1
and five minutes later he had a reply from Salvador.p.2
André C. Simonpietri Scientific Attachép.2
Extracted text · Page 1
Page 1 · vision OCR
ORIGIN/ACTION
[HANDWRITTEN: 5-7-4]
RM/R REP AF
[HANDWRITTEN: 1]
ARA EUR FE
[HANDWRITTEN: 4]
NEA CU INR
[HANDWRITTEN: 5]
E P IO
[HANDWRITTEN: 1]
L FBO AID
[HANDWRITTEN: S/P 1]
AGR COM FRB
INT LAB TAR
[HANDWRITTEN: THIS NASA 4] XMB ALC
[HANDWRITTEN: 3]
ARMY CIA NAVY
[HANDWRITTEN: 5] [HANDWRITTEN: 10] [HANDWRITTEN: 5]
OSD USIA NSA
[HANDWRITTEN: 15] [HANDWRITTEN: 8] [HANDWRITTEN: 3]
[ILLEGIBLE] [HANDWRITTEN: NSC 2] [HANDWRITTEN: 6]
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
AIRGRAM
[HANDWRITTEN: 44]
[HANDWRITTEN: SP 16 BRAZ]
FOR RM USE ONLY
A-628
NO.
UNCLASSIFIED
HANDLING INDICATOR
TO : DEPARTMENT OF STATE
INFO : Amconsul SALVADOR
[REDACTED]
Department: Pass copies Defense, NASA & OSD
FROM : Amembassy RIO DE JANEIRO DATE: November 20, 1963
SUBJECT: Negative Report on UFO (Unidentified Flying Object)
Reportedly Sighted Near Salvador, Bahia on November 8, 1964.
REF : Embtel 94 to Amconsul Salvador (to SecState 1054) of
November 14, 1963
Information copies of the above Embtel were sent to the
Department with the request that they be passed to Defense (for
the Air Force) and NASA.
Mr. Harold Midkiff, the Consul in Salvador, replied by
telegram No. 157 of November 14 to the above cited Embtel; as
follows:
"Story of strange object descending in region of Conde Bahia
apparently fabricated in Rio no such objects seen by
anyone in the area according to newspaper reporters and
others who rushed there before investigation reports
were received Secretary Public Security speculated object
might be weather balloon but no such sighting verified."
In addition, he forwarded by pouch also on November 14
two newspaper clippings from Salvadoran journals which substan-
tiate the above message, respectively Diario de Noticias of
November 9, and the Jornal da Bahia of November 11. The first
of these states that the Ministry of Aeronautics categorically
denies that there was any "strange object" in Conde. The other
is entitled "The Airship that wasn't there".
According to the Jornal da Bahia reporter, the only news-
worthy aspect of the episode is that it produced an astounding
by-product: he sent a telegram to his paper from the federal
telegraphic office in Conde - by an old morse code transmitter -
INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC AFFAIRS
UNCLASSIFIED
NOV 26 1963
FOR DEPT. USE ONLY
In Out
FORM
4-62 DS-323
Drafted by: SA:ACS1monpietri/vmd 11-20-63
Contents and Classification Approved by: John Gordon Mein
Clearances: AA:RDKalb (in substance) POL:CCCarson
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
BRANCH
[HANDWRITTEN: Nov 20/63]
[HANDWRITTEN: Noted—no action]
[HANDWRITTEN: FILE Mr]
[HANDWRITTEN: Copy]
DECLASSIFIED NND 939551Page 2 · vision OCR
UNCLASSIFIED Page 2 of A-628 from Rio and five minutes later he had a reply from Salvador. For the Ambassador: [ILLEGIBLE] André C. Simonpietri Scientific Attaché UNCLASSIFIED 781 DECLASSIFIED NND 939551
Concatenated page-by-page transcript. Born-digital pages came through pdf.js; scanned pages were transcribed by Claude vision OCR. Pages marked unreadable failed multiple OCR retries (heavy redaction, microfilm artifacts, or blank separators) and are kept in place for audit.
ORIGIN/ACTION
[HANDWRITTEN: 5-7-4]
RM/R REP AF
[HANDWRITTEN: 1]
ARA EUR FE
[HANDWRITTEN: 4]
NEA CU INR
[HANDWRITTEN: 5]
E P IO
[HANDWRITTEN: 1]
L FBO AID
[HANDWRITTEN: S/P 1]
AGR COM FRB
INT LAB TAR
[HANDWRITTEN: THIS NASA 4] XMB ALC
[HANDWRITTEN: 3]
ARMY CIA NAVY
[HANDWRITTEN: 5] [HANDWRITTEN: 10] [HANDWRITTEN: 5]
OSD USIA NSA
[HANDWRITTEN: 15] [HANDWRITTEN: 8] [HANDWRITTEN: 3]
[ILLEGIBLE] [HANDWRITTEN: NSC 2] [HANDWRITTEN: 6]
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
AIRGRAM
[HANDWRITTEN: 44]
[HANDWRITTEN: SP 16 BRAZ]
FOR RM USE ONLY
A-628
NO.
UNCLASSIFIED
HANDLING INDICATOR
TO : DEPARTMENT OF STATE
INFO : Amconsul SALVADOR
[REDACTED]
Department: Pass copies Defense, NASA & OSD
FROM : Amembassy RIO DE JANEIRO DATE: November 20, 1963
SUBJECT: Negative Report on UFO (Unidentified Flying Object)
Reportedly Sighted Near Salvador, Bahia on November 8, 1964.
REF : Embtel 94 to Amconsul Salvador (to SecState 1054) of
November 14, 1963
Information copies of the above Embtel were sent to the
Department with the request that they be passed to Defense (for
the Air Force) and NASA.
Mr. Harold Midkiff, the Consul in Salvador, replied by
telegram No. 157 of November 14 to the above cited Embtel; as
follows:
"Story of strange object descending in region of Conde Bahia
apparently fabricated in Rio no such objects seen by
anyone in the area according to newspaper reporters and
others who rushed there before investigation reports
were received Secretary Public Security speculated object
might be weather balloon but no such sighting verified."
In addition, he forwarded by pouch also on November 14
two newspaper clippings from Salvadoran journals which substan-
tiate the above message, respectively Diario de Noticias of
November 9, and the Jornal da Bahia of November 11. The first
of these states that the Ministry of Aeronautics categorically
denies that there was any "strange object" in Conde. The other
is entitled "The Airship that wasn't there".
According to the Jornal da Bahia reporter, the only news-
worthy aspect of the episode is that it produced an astounding
by-product: he sent a telegram to his paper from the federal
telegraphic office in Conde - by an old morse code transmitter -
INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC AFFAIRS
UNCLASSIFIED
NOV 26 1963
FOR DEPT. USE ONLY
In Out
FORM
4-62 DS-323
Drafted by: SA:ACS1monpietri/vmd 11-20-63
Contents and Classification Approved by: John Gordon Mein
Clearances: AA:RDKalb (in substance) POL:CCCarson
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
BRANCH
[HANDWRITTEN: Nov 20/63]
[HANDWRITTEN: Noted—no action]
[HANDWRITTEN: FILE Mr]
[HANDWRITTEN: Copy]
DECLASSIFIED NND 939551UNCLASSIFIED Page 2 of A-628 from Rio and five minutes later he had a reply from Salvador. For the Ambassador: [ILLEGIBLE] André C. Simonpietri Scientific Attaché UNCLASSIFIED 781 DECLASSIFIED NND 939551