Which agency produced Passaic Saucer Photographs, ATIC Skepticism, 1952?

Passaic Saucer Photographs, ATIC Skepticism, 1952 is a primary-source record from FBI. Its original classification was UNCLASSIFIED.

What programs and topics appear in Passaic Saucer Photographs, ATIC Skepticism, 1952?

Passaic Saucer Photographs, ATIC Skepticism, 1952 references Passaic photographs, Newark Field Office, New Jersey, cylindrical object, cigar-shaped object and red and blue lights.

What does Passaic Saucer Photographs, ATIC Skepticism, 1952 say, in its own words?

"Seven photostats of Flying Saucers. Received from Department of the Air Force, Headquarters United States Air Force 8-27-52." (source p. 3).

← Files

DISCLOSURE / FILE

Passaic Saucer Photographs, ATIC Skepticism, 1952

FBI-UAP-D012, Newark Field Office, 1952-1967

This FBI Newark Field Office file collects 1952 to 1967 New Jersey UFO sighting reports, with the strongest early thread centered on Air Force doubts about July 31, 1952 Passaic saucer photographs and FBI background checks on the photographer and witness.

Brief

The file opens with Air Force material sent to Newark on August 27, 1952, including seven photostats of flying saucers and a request to check John H. Riley and George J. Stock. ATIC said it did not believe the Passaic photographs were authentic, mainly because the reported object was visible in a populated area for seven minutes with no wider witness reporting. Newark ran criminal, credit, and neighborhood checks, found no criminal records or prior fraud history, and told OSI that interviews and further inquiry were left to Air Force jurisdiction. Later Newark memoranda logged additional New Jersey reports in 1957 and 1958, including cylindrical, cigar-shaped, bullet-shaped, and lighted stationary objects.

Metadata

Agency: FBI
Release: 6/12/26
Incident: August 1952-1967
Location: New Jersey, United States
Type: PDF • .pdf
Length: 66 pages
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Tags: Passaic photographs, Newark Field Office, New Jersey, 1952, cylindrical object, cigar-shaped object, red and blue lights, Air Technical Intelligence Center, OSI

Key points

The file jacket identifies Newark file number 100-36998 and shows the material was copied for FOIPA, with the file front maintained by the FBI Newark office.p.1
The first listed item was seven photostats of flying saucers received from Headquarters United States Air Force on August 27, 1952.p.3
Air Force OSI asked Newark to investigate civilian photographer John H. Riley and witness George J. Stock to assess reliability and help determine the authenticity of seven photographs.p.5
ATIC concluded the Passaic photographs were probably not authentic because the object was reportedly visible for seven minutes in a populated area, yet no one else reported seeing it.p.6
The Herald-News summary said the July 31, 1952 object was greyish, about 30 feet in diameter by Riley's account, silent, and visible for about seven minutes over Brooks Avenue in Passaic.p.8
Newark reported that credit, criminal, and neighborhood checks found no criminal records or prior fraud information for Riley or Stock.p.9
Newark told OSI that it did not interview Riley or Stock about the photographs and had made no further investigation beyond the checks and neighborhood inquiries.p.9
A local recreation director told Newark that Stock, not Riley, took the photographs and that the original negatives did not appear to be touched up.p.12
A 1957 Newark memorandum recorded a Glen Ridge report of a long, cylindrical, dark silver object with no wings and fins at the rear.p.13
A November 1957 Newark memorandum recorded Willard Jones's report of a stationary object over New York City with fast fluctuating red and blue lights, observed through a 7x50 lens.

Verbatim

Seven photostats of Flying Saucers. Received from Department of the Air Force, Headquarters United States Air Force 8-27-52.
p.3
ATIC does not believe these photos are authentic because:
p.6
They were apparently taken in a populated area at 10:15 a.m. and the object was supposedly visible for seven minutes. Yet, no one else reported seeing it.
p.6
As it drew nearer it came to a complete stop and hovered overhead for several moments about 200 feet from the ground.
p.8
The appropriate credit and criminal checks were made in this matter as well as discreet neighborhood inquiries as to both individuals, and no information was received that either individual had criminal records or that they were known in the past to have perpetrated any kind of fraud.
p.9
No investigation of this type was made by the Newark division.
p.9

Most interesting

The Air Force's technical objection turned on social context as much as image analysis: a daylight object over a populated area should have produced more witnesses.
The Herald-News material said Riley would not part with the negatives, while Newark later reported that Stock recovered the negatives.
Newark found no criminal or credit-record red flags for Riley, but one hardware-store owner said he did not consider Riley reliable without giving a full explanation.
Thomas Cavanaugh, Stock's recreation director, told Newark that Stock had little to gain from publicity and that he believed Stock and Stock's father were reliable.
The 1957 and 1958 sighting memoranda show Newark treating public UFO calls as referral items for Air Force OSI rather than as full FBI investigations.

Cited in

FINDINGPassaic's saucer photos got background checks before belief.War.gov June 12, 2026
TAKEAWAYThe Cold War collection deskp.1War.gov June 12, 2026

Common questions

What is Passaic Saucer Photographs, ATIC Skepticism, 1952?: This FBI Newark Field Office file collects 1952 to 1967 New Jersey UFO sighting reports, with the strongest early thread centered on Air Force doubts about July 31, 1952 Passaic saucer photographs and FBI background checks on the photographer and witness.
What does Passaic Saucer Photographs, ATIC Skepticism, 1952 reveal?: The file jacket identifies Newark file number 100-36998 and shows the material was copied for FOIPA, with the file front maintained by the FBI Newark office. The first listed item was seven photostats of flying saucers received from Headquarters United States Air Force on August 27, 1952. Air Force OSI asked Newark to investigate civilian photographer John…
Which agency produced Passaic Saucer Photographs, ATIC Skepticism, 1952?: Passaic Saucer Photographs, ATIC Skepticism, 1952 is a primary-source record from FBI. Its original classification was UNCLASSIFIED.
When is Passaic Saucer Photographs, ATIC Skepticism, 1952 dated?: Passaic Saucer Photographs, ATIC Skepticism, 1952 is dated August 1952-1967. It was disclosed 2026-06-12.
What programs and topics appear in Passaic Saucer Photographs, ATIC Skepticism, 1952?: Passaic Saucer Photographs, ATIC Skepticism, 1952 references Passaic photographs, Newark Field Office, New Jersey, cylindrical object, cigar-shaped object and red and blue lights.
What does Passaic Saucer Photographs, ATIC Skepticism, 1952 say, in its own words?: "Seven photostats of Flying Saucers. Received from Department of the Air Force, Headquarters United States Air Force 8-27-52." (source p. 3).

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