AUGUST 1972
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Originally Submitted November 2, 1972
to Dr. J. Allen Hynek
By
David W. Akers, P.E.
P.O. Box 11517
Seattle, WA 98110-5517 USA
Email: 70544.1653@compuserve.com
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Revised December 5, 1995 for Distribution on
Electronic Networks.
Copyright 1995, David W. Akers
All Rights Reserved.
Reproduction or commercial use of this document or any of its photographs or illustrations without permission of the author is expressly prohibited. This document may however be redistributed over electronic networks and to researchers as long as it is forwarded in its whole, without modifications and without charge.
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FORWARD
The Yakima UFO Field project was undertaken by me in August of
1972 at the request of Dr. J. Allen Hynek. The study has
continued to this day.
The original reports were not widely circulated by Dr. Hynek
at my request. However, a number of articles and at least one book
related to the Toppenish Study have been published over the years.
This electronic distribution is my attempt to make the original
documents of the study available to anyone who is interested.
This distribution contains the text of three papers: The first
was submitted in November of 1972. Two follow-up reports, in 1974
and 1975, summarize developments and report statistics following
the conclusion of the initial field study. The original
typewritten documents were scanned and converted to electronic media
files with OCR software. Otherwise, they appear essentially as they
did in their original form.
December of 1995 marks twenty-three years since the Toppenish
Field Study was undertaken. Bill Vogel and Allen Hynek have died.
Many of the other people who contributed to it have moved on to new
jobs, retired or died. This publication is dedicated to Bill Vogel
and others who helped to bring the Yakima manifestation to our
attention.
Dave Akers
December 5, 1995
EMAIL: 70544.1653@compuserve.com
INTRODUCTION
This report presents findings made during a field study period extending from August 20, 1972 to August 31, 1972, near Toppenish, Washington U.S.A.
It is intended as a preliminary report, since investigation is
still in progress. The report begins with a description of the
study area. The following section presents a short history of UFO
activity in the region. The next section deals with the objectives
of the study, the investigative approach employed and instruments
used. Detailed reports of each observation of apparent UFO
activity made by this investigator comprise the fourth section of
the report.
The final section of this report includes some preliminary
assessments concerning the effectiveness of the study and some
suggestions for improving equipment for present and future
investigations. Care has been taken to report all unusual
observations as accurately as possible and to refrain from
analysis.
Appendix A summarizes additional observations by other
individuals during the year of 1972, prior to the initiation of the
field study described in this report.
DESCRIPTION OF THE STUDY AREA
The area involved in this study consists of a rectangular
section, about forty miles wide and seventy miles long (2,800 sq.
miles), located in south central Washington state. Almost all of
the area is a part of the reservation of the Yakima Indian Nation.
Approximately two-thirds of the reservation is closed to the public
and special authorization is required to enter the area.
Eastern borders of the study area are marked by the towns of
Parker, Wapato, Toppenish, Granger and Mabton. The western border
is formed by the eastern slopes of the Cascade mountain Range, with
Mount Adams (elevation 12,307 ft.) the dominating feature of the
skyline. The northern border of the area is marked by Ahtanum
Ridge (4,5OO ft.). Bickleton Ridge and the Simcoe Mountains (max.
elevation 5,500 ft.) from the southern border. Figure I is a map
of the study area.
The eastern quarter (144,325 acres) of the region is used for
agricultural purposes; the principal crops being sugar beets, hops,
mint, asparagus, corn, peas, grain, alfalfa, cherries, peaches,
apples and grapes. This quarter is flat valley farmland. The
remaining portion of the eastern half or the valley is used for
rangeland and consists mainly of dry, rolling hills.
The western half of the study area is made up of heavily
forested terrain, much of it primitive and inaccessible to normal
ground transportation. Timber from this region is a major source
of income for the area. Railroad tracks of the Burlington Northern
Line run along the eastern border of the reservation. U.S. Highway
97 is the only major freeway in the area and, along with primary
power transmission lines of the Bonneville Power Administration,
cuts through the southeastern corner of the reservation.
Secondary roads, many of them dirt or gravel, crisscross the
reservation. The town of White Swan, twenty miles due west of
Toppenish, is the most western population center in the area and
has about 300 inhabitants. The closest areas of industrial
significance are the nuclear research facilities at Hanford, 28
statute miles to the northeast, and the Yakima Firing Range, 14
statute miles to the north of Toppenish.
Geology of the study area is interesting: Marine fossils
found in the area indicate that the entire valley might once have
been a huge lake or inland sea. Volcanic activity is still very
much in evidence, especially in the vicinities of Mt. Adams and
neighboring Mt. Rainier.
HISTORY OF UFO PHENOMENA IN THE STUDY AREA
Activity recognizable as classical UFO phenomena has been
present in the Toppenish area for more than eight years. There is
even some evidence to suggest that UFO reports are a part of Yakima
Indian legends. A detectable increase in activity has taken place
in the last three years. Reports have recently been made by law
enforcement personnel from the Washington Stare Patrol, County
Sheriff and reservation Law and Order department. Formerly, fire
lookouts had been the primary source of reports. A majority of
observations are made at night and consist mostly of the typical
“nocturnal light” (NL) phenomenon described by Hynek(1). Primary
characteristics of this particular phenomenon include:
1. Generally bright light, larger than a point source.
2. Colors reported cover the entire spectrum, but most usually are yellow-orange.
3. Kinematics are not attributable to balloons, aircraft or other natural objects and often give the appearance of intelligent action.
The NL in the Toppenish study area have generally conformed to
the above description. The Toppenish manifestation does seem to
differ slightly in that it is frequently observed on or near the
ground. Predominant colors range from brownish-orange to pure
white. Investigation of prior NL activity in the study area
revealed that a few daytime observations have been made. These
daylight sightings are very rare and have ranged from “fuzzy”
appearing “blobs” to well-defined, metallic colored,
disk shaped objects of the classical “flying saucer” variety.
There was also one ten year old report of a physical impression
made in the ground by an UFO.
DESCRIPTION OF STUDY OBJECTIVES AND METHODS
Preparations for the Toppenish project began in April of 1972,
following a survey of the extent of activity in the area by Dr. J.
A. Hynek. It was determined at this time that the activity was of
sufficient quality and regularity to justify placement of an
observer equipped with instruments in the area during a period of
expected peak activity. The Yakima Tribal council and the Yakima
Agency, Bureau of Indian Affairs, along with the Agency Forestry
Division gave their full cooperation to the project and plans were
made to conduct a field study during the month of August (a period
of prior high sighting probability).
A primary objective of the study was to determine the
feasibility of “staking-out” a scientific observer in an area of
high sighting probability, with the purpose in mind of obtaining
hard data concerning UFO phenomena.
First priority was assigned to obtaining photographs,
including spectrographs and position data. It was felt that this
information would be of greatest use as scientific information and
the easiest to acquire, given the transient nature of the
phenomenon under study. Another priority was the acquisition of
data relating to any magnetic effects which might arise from UFO
activity.
The investigative approach used involved setting-up portable
observation points at selected locations in the study area for
several days at a time. This technique allowed the observer to
become acquainted with normal activity in a given location and
prepare him to detect any abnormal activity which might occur. No
concerted effort was made to “chase” the phenomenon around the
reservation. Instead, it was allowed to come to the observer. The
temporary observation points and instruments were manned during the
times of greatest sighting probability, i.e., between sunset and
sunrise.
Additional time, during the day, was spent gathering
background data, such as previous sighting reports, geographical
and other supportive information. Accent was placed on flexibility
of method, because of the large area to be covered and the
elusiveness of the phenomenon under investigation. The
investigator’s presence was purposely made as unobtrusive as
possible to avoid interference with routine business on the
reservation.
Observation points were established at six points in the study
area. Three of these locations were adjacent to Satus, Signal Peak
and Sopelia fire lookouts (Slide Nos. l, 2 and 3, respectively).
The remaining observation points were positioned in the valley near
White Swan. All of the observation points are numbered on the map
of Figure I. (Satus, Signal Peak and Sopelia lookouts are numbered
5, 4 and 6, respectively.)
The Tribal Forestry Division radio system was available for
communication between the investigator and fire lookouts. It was
intended that such a communication link might provide a means of
triangulating the position of a NL, should a sighting occur. All
transmissions were coded because of previous reports of apparent NL
responses to radio messages concerning them. When Possible, radio
transmissions were avoided to keep from disturbing personnel who
monitor the 110 unit radio network on a twenty-four hour basis
during the fire season.
All observation points were accessible by means of roads.
However, a sturdy car was required to traverse them. The fire
lookout locations afforded excellent visibility to the
investigator and were free from interfering lights. Valley
observation points were often subject to interfering lights and
haze, but afforded the best views of ridges where much of the NL
activity had been previously reported.
The instruments used included two single lens reflex (SLR)
cameras, a 16mm motion picture camera, a 35mm range finder camera,
a compass spin detector, recording magnetometer, standard time
receiver and tape recorder. Other instruments for measuring
nuclear radiation, infrared radiation, ultrasonic sound and
frequency references were available, but not normally deployed.
One of the SLR cameras was fitted with a 500mm, f8
catadioptric design lens. This camera/lens combination had a 5
degree field of view and served as the primary instrument for recording
visible light data (Slide No. 4).
The motion picture camera was normally fitted with an 18-86mm,
f2.7 zoom lens, but could be operated with the same 500mm lens used
on the still camera. The second SLR camera was equipped with a 55mm
lens and replica grating to permit recording of spectral data.
(Slide No. 5, right). These three cameras used Kodak High speed
Ektachrome, Type B (EFB) film.
EFB film was selected because of its high exposure index, good
resolution characteristics and reasonable exposure latitude. It
was also found that the “B” emulsion gave the best color balance
under night exposure conditions.
The range finder camera (Slide No. 5, left) was loaded with
black and white Kodak High Speed infrared film and equipped with a
Wrattan 89B filter. This camera could record radiation in the
near-infrared spectrum (wavelengths 750 to 900 nanometers).
The standard time receiver picked-up National Bureau of
standards time signals and served as a time reference for
measurements. An electronic compass spin detector was also
deployed during the observation periods. Signals from both devices
were fed into the tape recorder, along with the observer’s
commentary. The latter instruments are shown in a typical field
set-up in Slide No. 6.
An automatic recording magnetometer, designed and built by the
San Diego section of the Aerial Phenomenon Research Organization
(APRO), was also used during the field study period. This device
required some initial setup, but afterwards was capable of
unattended operation. Its primary features were high sensitivity
to changes in magnetic flux, wide frequency response (to 1000 Hz)
and the ability to detect rotational force vectors of possible
paramagnetic nature.
OBSERVATIONS OF NL ACTIVITY MADE DURING THE STUDY PERIOD
A number of observations of apparent NL activity were made by
this investigator during the field study period. Many of them were
recorded on film. This section catalogs the sightings
chronologically. Slides which are applicable to the particular
observation are referenced by number. All time is recorded in
Greenwich Mean Time, 24 hour format. All dates are given at
location. Headings from observation points are magnetic (add 20
degrees for true headings).
OBSERVATION I
Date: 8-20-72
Observer Location: Point 1 (Figure I)
Activity Location: Point A (Figure I)
One luminous, round light was observed at 0415 on a bearing of
240 degrees from the observer. It was joined by another similar
light at 0437. They were at an elevation of 10-20 and well below
the ridge of the hills. Their apparent location was north of Hunt
Creek and west of the Job corps camp, at an estimated distance of 19
statute miles. Topography of the area is rugged, dry hills.
Sky at the time of the first observation was Partially
overcast in cumulus, with openings to the south and overhead. The
moon was high in the sky and intermittently visible through the
overcast. Temperature was about 65 degrees F and surface wind was
from the NW at between 0 and 5 mph during the observation period.
The two objects were apparently round, with a reddish-orange
glow and no clearly defined outline. The diffuse glow was evenly
distributed over the surface of each object and no discontinuities
were visible. The light flickered noticeably, in much the same way
as a flare might look when subjected to a strong wind. The object
would appear and disappear as if being switched “on” and “off”.
Color hue and saturation appeared to remain constant as the light
flickered, but perceived size appeared to change.
Movement of the objects was erratic and discontinuous. They appeared to move independently, circling and changing places in relation to one another.
The lights operated below the ridge of the hill at all times
during the observation. They were last seen at approximately 0510.
Intensities gradually diminished and time between “on” cycles
became longer until they were no longer visible.
Four slides were obtained during the observation period. The
camera was stationary during the whole sequence. Slide Nos. 7-10
were taken at 0437:48, 0438:16, 0439:35 and 0432:46, respectively.
Exposure was ¬ second through the 500mm, f8 lens. The film (EFB)
was processed for its normal, ASA 125 rating. Slide No. 11 is an
enlargement of Slide No. 8. Note the presence of two objects on
this slide.
The unusual kinematics and physical appearance of these objects strongly indicates that they did not arise from mundane causes, such as car or motorcycle lights.
OBSERVATION II
Date : 8-21-72
Observer Location: Point 2 (Figure I)
Activity Location: Points B and C (Figure I)
Equipment was set up in a field west of the intersection of
Wesley and Branch Roads, northwest of White Swan. This location
was chosen in an attempt to get closer to the activity observed on
the previous night. At 0405, what appeared to be automobile tail
lights were seen moving on a heading of 20 degrees from the observation
point (Point 8 of Figure I). No headlights were visible.
The red lights appeared to be near the base of the hill, at an
estimated distance of 5« miles. (Note: There is a road in this area.)
The tail lights stopped moving and, shortly thereafter, two
luminous, amber “balls” came rapidly down from near the top of
Ahthanum Ridge, circled around each other and approached the red
lights. All of the lights next went out, suddenly and
simultaneously. The whole observation lasted less than two minutes
and no sounds were heard.
At 0512, two “vehicles” with red lights were observed moving
rapidly up and down the hill side, approximately 10 degrees to the
left of the first observation.
Their distance was again about 5 miles from the observer.
Each “vehicle” had what appeared to be an amber headlight which
swept rapidly back and forth over the ground ahead of its path.
The actual source of the “headlight” was never seen, regardless of
whether the object was going up or down the hill. Only
the beam cast on the ground by this “headlight” and the red light
were visible. The objects appeared to move independently of each
other and traversed the distance from near the base of the hill to
the top of the ridge (approximately 900 ft. of elevation), at an
angle of 60 degrees to horizontal in less than ten seconds.
Again, no sound was heard. The objects disappeared from view
about ten minutes later. Weather was almost completely overcast
with cumulus clouds, Openings in the overcast could be seen to the
northwest and southwest. A thunderstorm was building to the
southeast.
Another object appeared on a bearing of 270 degrees at 0619
(Point C on Figure I). It was a large brownish-orange ball,
apparently positioned above Rattlesnake Ridge. It might have been
taken for a planet except for the fact that it was under the overcast.
It appeared to flicker slightly and remained stationary.
The object disappeared in the observer’s field of vision, as if it were a light being turned-off. Estimated time for this observation was five minutes.
OBSERVATION III
Date : 8-22-72
Observation Location: Point 3 (Figure I)
Activity Location: Point D (Figure I)
A luminous orange ball, similar to the one observed on 8-20-72
was seen at 0352 on a bearing of 250 degrees from the observation Point,
This object appeared to be stationary and was near the base of the
hill. It blinked on and off several times. Slide No. 12 was
taken with a ¬ second exposure through the 500mm, f8 lens. Again,
EFB film was used and processed for normal ASA. The top of the
ridge is shown and a mercury vapor street lamp appears at the lower
left of the frame. The unknown object is to the right. Slide No.
13 is an enlargement of the mercury vapor light and object.
(Note: Chromatic aberration in this slide is a result of the copy
process.)
The light was closer in color to white than orange. It was
difficult to determine whether the object in this case was a
motorcycle headlamp or “genuine” NL. The source appears to be too
bright and large for a motorcycle headlamp.
OBSERVATION IV
Date: 8-24-72
Observer Location: Point 5 (Figure I) Satus Fire Lookout
Activity Location: Point E (Figure I) Piscoe Meadow
At 0510, the investigator and fire lookout spotted one (?)
bright white light moving very rapidly through a wooded area
southeast of Piscoe Meadow (bearing approximately 358 degrees true).
Distance to the sighting area was about 18 miles.
The light moved so fast that it gave the impression of a
streak. It would appear stationary for a moment, then, almost
instantaneously, appear some distance away (typically 10 degrees
of arc through 7×50 binoculars). After another brief pause, it
would dart back in the opposite direction. When stationary, the
object appeared through the binoculars as an intense pinpoint of
white light.
The sky was clear and the moon was rising, but there was
considerable haze in the valley. All car lights observed this
evening had an orange cast. The observation lasted about one
minute and no photographs were obtained.
A radio message from an observer in the valley was received at
0730. He asked the fire lookout if the investigator was “up and
around.” The lookout’s reply was affirmative and the transmission
was terminated.
The following day it was learned that the observer in the
valley had spotted a tan or light orange, slow moving light from
the freeway near the town of Parker (18 miles NE of the lookout).
It moved slowly down the valley to the town of White Swan, turned
and appeared to move directly over the Satus lookout. It next
turned and headed east, where it disappeared behind Toppenish
Mountain.
The person in the valley assumed that the observer at the fire
lookout could not have missed the object and he did not want to
make any direct mention of the object over the radio.
Nothing was seen from the observation point at Satus lookout
before or after the radio message. There was no reasonable way the
light could have been missed by the investigator and the fire
lookout. Yet, nothing was seen. The observer in the valley is
known to be extremely reliable and there is no reason to doubt his
word. This “non-observation” rates very high on the strangeness
scale.
OBSERVATION V
Date: 8-26-72
Observer Location: Point 5 (Figure I) Satus Fire Lookout
Activity Location: Point F (Figure I) near Dry creek
Intermittent lights were observed along the ridge southeast of
Satus Lookout for much of the night. They seemed to appear and
disappear at random and were thought to have been lights from cars
or campers. sky was clear with bright moonlight. Haze was
moderate in the lower elevations.
A 2.5 minute time exposure was taken of the area between 0845
and 0847 with the 500mm, f8 lens and EFB film. Slide No. 14 is the
result. The two(?) lights appearing on the slide were not seen
during exposure. Note that the microwave antenna on the relay
station also appears dimly in the left hand foreground of the
picture. Slide No. 15 is an enlargement of No. 14.
The closest ridge from the point where the slide was taken is
about 5« miles away. Knowing the distance to the ridge and angle
of view of the lens (5 degree), it should be possible to determine
whether or not the light source was a car. Further analysis of
this slide is needed.
OBSERVATION VI
Date: 8-31-72
Observer Location: Point 1 (Figure I)
Activity Location: Point C (Figure I) At first observation
A luminous ball, identical in color and kinematics to that
observed on 8-20-72 was seen at 0518 on a bearing of 240 degrees
from the observation point. The object moved through an arc of
about 10 to 15 in three minutes. It appeared to follow the hills,
about ll miles away, and was situated vertically about half of the way
between the base and top of Ahtanum Ridge.
Slide No. 16 is a 60 second time exposure made through the
500mm, f8 lens. Slide No. 17 is an enlargement of No. 16. Note
how the object appears to move in “spurts” or flicker (there were
no known obstructions between the object and camera during the
exposure).
The object was seen briefly again by this investigator at
0739. It was apparently on or near the side of the hill, directly
below and in line with a microwave tower 8« miles due north of the
observation point (Point G). The object was clearly visible
through binoculars and appeared as a sharply defined,
brownish-orange disc. It gave the impression of being flat and the
ground near it could be seen illuminated by the glow. The object
disappeared by “turning-off” before the camera could be trained on
it. The foregoing observations could not be accounted for in
normal terms. One additional observer verified the sighting.
SUMMARY
The primary objective of demonstrating the feasibility of the
“stake-out” technique of UFO field investigation appears to have
been met during the study period. Nocturnal light activity was
observed and recorded on film. Unfortunately, the closest activity
was at a distance of about eight miles.
The long working distance did not permit the acquisition of
any physical data other than a few slides. However, given the
technical and position data available, it should be possible to
arrive at a reasonable estimate of the size, light output and form
of the objects observed. It is in this area that primary effort is
needed.
This investigator is satisfied that genuine NL activity has
been and is still taking place on a more or less regular basis in
the Toppenish area. However, there was nothing in the nocturnal
light observations made during the study which would suggest
conclusively that the source of the activity is extra terrestrial.
On the other hand, something very unusual is taking place. The
problem warrants continued very careful and objective examination.
A few words should be said concerning the measurements — or
lack of measurements — made during the study period: One camera
was responsible for all of the “hard” data obtained, The only
other camera capable of working at the distances involved was the
16mm camera/500mm lens combination. It was discovered early,
however, that the motion picture camera could not be aimed
with the very dim light available. The reason is that the reflex
viewing system in the camera, utilizing a half-silvered prism, did
not transmit enough light to the viewfinder. (The camera has since
been fitted with an auxiliary viewfinder.)
All of the NL activity was too far away to permit
spectrograms, because of the relatively short focal length lenses
required by the replica grating. Additional work is being done on
spectrograph instrumentation which will allow working longer
distances.
The use of the tape recorder for commentary and time logging
was invaluable in determining the times at which photographs were
made and recalling details of observations. A great deal of
information would have been lost without the time and recording
equipment.
There were no abnormal magnetic disturbances sensed by
instruments at any time during the study period. The compass spin
detector was deployed most of the time during observation periods
and no anomalous compass deflections were sensed. The recording
magnetometer was used less than the compass spin detector, because
of its extreme sensitivity to normal magnetic disturbances. The
instrument appears to have potential, however, and a separate
report dealing with the instrument will be forthcoming.
In conclusion, a great deal in the line of hard, practical
experience has been gained from this study. It was learned what
things would work – what would not. Hopefully, the mistakes made
during this initial study period can be avoided in the next.
At any rate, study of the activity in the Toppenish area will
continue indefinitely until some explanation for the phenomena
there is obtained.
All material collected during the study period, including the
original slides, is available for inspection by any qualified
investigator. Questions, suggestions and comments will be
welcomed.
FOOTNOTES
1. Hynek, J. Allen, The UFO Experience: A Scientific
Inquiry, Henry Regnery Co., Chicago, l972
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Many thanks to the following people for their help in making this
study possible:
Dr. J. Allen Hynek
Mr. Bill Vogel
Yakima Nation Tribal Council and Bureau of Indian Affairs
Mr. Bill Nick and the National Enquirer
Yakima Agency Forestry Division personnel, especially the
fire lookouts
Coral and Jim Lorenzen and APRO
Mr. Neil Davis and the San Diego chapter of APRO
Dr. James Harder
Mr. John Lust, Jr.
The people who wish to remain anonymous, but who supplied
sighting reports as background for this study.
APPENDIX A
SUMMARY OF REPORTS FOR THE PORTION OF 1972 PRIOR TO THE FIELD STUDY
1. Date: June 7, 1972 — Between 9:30 and 12:30 am local time
Activity location: South fork of Toppenish Canyon (7 miles
from the observer)
Summary:
Spherical shaped object going up and down,
bouncing. Had a bluish “metal-flake blue”) sheen and was at
least 30 to 40 feet across. Disappeared with big flash of
light arcing into air. Weather was towering cumulus with 7%
cloud cover. Wind from SW at 5 mph (2:00 pm reading).
Visibility was 12 miles. Cloud-to-cloud lightning observed
after 2 pm. Note: Pet dog reacted strangely, as if its ears
were hurting, for approximately one hour on the evening
following the observation. Nothing was visible on the latter
occasion.
2. Date: June 29, 1972 — 10:20 pm local time
Activity location: Red Butte
Summary:
Object sat for about 10 minutes. “Kind of pear-
shaped” with fairly sharp outline. About four minutes before
it moved, yellow, red and green lights were observed. The
object was sitting motionless and then shot straight up to a
high altitude. Object next shot straight east. Sharp angular
motion and very high speed. Weather was clear, with variable
westerly wind. Visibility was 17 miles.
3. Date: July 31, 1972 — 9:05 pm local time
Activity location: South slope of Shinando Canyon
Summary:
Baseball sized, very white light floating along just
below tree top level. No noise as object moved slowly from
west to east. Observer was above the tree tops in the canyon
and above the object. Distance to the object was less than
one-half mile.
4. Date: August 2, 1972 — 9:10 pm local time
Activity location: Yego Pasture
Summary:
Big “blob” with no definite shape. Observed for
ten minutes before it shot straight up, made an
instantaneous turn and shot north, Weather clear, NE wind.
Humidity 35 and lower, with 15 mile visibility,
5. Date: August 3, 1972 — between 10:00 and 11:15 pm
Activity location: NE of fire lookout (Satus)
Summary:
Big, white, bright “thing”, something like a cloud
came and went. It would appear dim, then become brighter
and brighter, and then. “like something melting fast”,
disappear. Angle of elevation was 300 and object was fairly
close to lookout. Bright streaks or rays came from the object
and lighted up the interior of the lookout, making things
inside visible, The sky was dark above and below the object.
Size of the object was estimated to be as large as the lookout
(about 12x12x8 feet). No moon was visible.
6. Date: August 11, 1972 — 12:30 pm local time
Activity location: 1000 to 2000 feet above observer
Summary:
Hemispherical object with multicolored, stippled
streamers observed below cloud cover. Observed less than a
minute and disappeared almost instantaneously into clouds.
7. Date: August 15, 1972 — 11:00 pm
Activity location: T9, R19, Sec 22 26′ (approximately)
Summary:
Three bright lights on top of butte. Described as
pure white and very intense balls. Observed for two hours.
INVESTIGATION OF NOCTURNAL LIGHT PHENOMENA
1973 SIGHTING REPORTS FROM TOPPENISH, WASHINGTON
****************************************************************
Originally Submitted April 8, 1974
to Dr. J. Allen Hynek
by
David W. Akers, P.E.
P.O. Box 11517
Seattle, WA 98110-5517 USA
Email: 70544.1653@compuserve.com
****************************************************************
Revised December 5, 1995 for Distribution on
Electronic Networks.
Copyright 1995, David W. Akers
All Rights Reserved.
Reproduction or commercial use of this document or any of its
photographs or illustrations without permission of the author is
expressly prohibited. This document may however be redistributed
over electronic networks and to researchers as long as it is
forwarded in its whole, without modifications and without charge.
*****************************************************************
INTRODUCTION
The following report is intended to update this
investigator’s first paper, Report on the Investigation of
Nocturnal Light Phenomena at Toppenish, Washington: August, 1972.
It contains a compilation and breakdown of reports of UFO
sightings from the area during the calendar year of 1973.
Investigation of the unusual activity in the vicinity of the
Yakima Indian Reservation began in April of 1972 and continues to
the present time. The goal of the study is to discover the source
or sources of the sightings and accumulate a data base suitable
for scientific appraisal of the problem.
The section which follows summarizes sighting reports
received for 1973. The reports compiled here appear to describe
activity which, based on this investigator’s experience with UFO
phenomena in the Toppenish area and elsewhere, is not readily
explained by known causes. They have been coarsely “filtered~
from other reports which either do not contain sufficient
information to classify them as unknown or those which contain
strong suggestions of a known cause. The practice of omitting
names of reporters, followed in the previous report, has been
continued in this paper. The report concludes with analysis and
comment on the 1973 reports and a discussion of the on-going
project.
SUMMARY OF REPORTS FOR 1973
1. Date: February 19, 1973 — 1900 PST
Activity Location: Hembre Mountain, near Toppenish Ridge
Observer Location: Campbell Rd., north of Yost Rd.
Summary:
Bright white lights, on or above Hembre Mountain, near
Toppenish Ridge which later turned bright red and flashed.
Position of the lights did not change, but moved in a pattern
which a circling airplane might make. (Note: It is unlikely that an
airplane was the stimulus for this report, because of the darkness and
rough terrain involved in the sighting area.)
2. Date: February 20, 1973 — 1820 PST
Activity Location: Lower third of slope of Toppenish Ridge, south
of the intersection of Yost and Shaker Church Roads.
Observer Location: Branch Rd., between Brownstone and Harrah.
Summary:
Observer reported three or four flashing, bright red
lights in the above location. He assumed they were emitted by
fire vehicles operating in the area. A thorough check however
indicated that no vehicles from any of the fire control agencies
in the valley were in service at the time. A further check
confirmed that no law enforcement emergency existed in the
vicinity of the sighting.
The lights moved back and forth in straight lines, as if
traversing back and forth on a winding road. There is only one
meandering dirt road in the area. At approximately 1845, an
lndian Police mobile unit was dispatched to the sighting location
and no activity of any kind was found. The lights were also no
longer visible to the original observer.
The lights observed the previous night (see Report 1.) were
approximately 14 miles to the east of the above observation.
3. Date: March 13, 1973 — 0711 PST
Activity Location: Above Satus Fire lookout
Observer Location: One mile east of White Swan on US 220
Summary:
The observer was proceeding east in a car along US 220
from the town of White Swan. As she neared tho Tribal Community
Center and White Swan Ranger Station, she noticed an object
hovering over tho Satus fire lookout. (From the observer’s
position, Satus lookout was eight miles away and just a few
degrees west of south.) There were no clouds in tho sky,
visibility was excellent and the lookout was clearly visible in
its position at Satus Peak on Toppenish Ridge.
The observer stopped the car and continued to watch the
object. Her first impression was that the object was a
reflection from the microwave relay antenna dish near the
lookout building, but soon determined that it was not. The object
hovered quite low over the lookout for an estimated five to ten
minutes. It then began to move slowly northward in jerks, much as
an automobile will move when the clutch is released too quickly.
The series of jerking movements lasted approximately 15 to 20
seconds and the object then accelerated into a very high speed
departure to due north, passing just west Or the observer and
moving out of sight just west of the city of Yakima.
The object was described as being almost identical to an old
dinner bell with the handle on the top (See Slide #1.). The
object was oriented as shown in tho sketch, with the “handle” at
the top. The observer estimated the object to be larger than a
small aircraft (such as a Piper Cub), but smaller than an
airliner. The object was a metallic grey color, except for the
bottom, or what could be called the mouth of the bell. The latter
portion of the object gave-off a strange, florescent orange glow.
The colors did not change as the object departed.
The observer reported the sighting to Bill Vogel on March 16 —
three days after the sighting. Mr. Vogel took a detailed report
at this time. This investigator verified details given in Mr.
Vogel’s report with the observer several weeks later. This
investigator and Mr. Vogel know the observer personally and know
her to be reliable. She is familiar with many of the
manifestations of UFO activity on tho Yakima Reservation and is
also aware of mundane conditions prevailing in the area. In
short, she qualifies as a “trained observer” for the purposes of
this study project.
Satus Fire Lookout, as well as the whole of the north side of
Toppenish Ridge, has been a focal point of reports of UFO
activity for some time (See the 1972 report). This is, however,
the most detailed daylight observation reported in the vicinity
of the lookout.
4. Date: April 2, 1973 — 2043 PST
Activity Location: Toppenish, Wash.
Observer Location: Same
Summary:
While lying in his room in bed, the observer, a ten year
old boy, reported that he saw a yellow ball of light, about the
size of a soccer ball or basketball, descend noiselessly from a
NNW direction in front of his bedroom window and then shoot
straight up into the air and disappear from view. The object was
very bright and hurt his eyes. He was also frightened, but noted
time of the incident (2043) from the electric clock next to his
bed. The observation was estimated to last about ten seconds.
The boy reported the incident to his father tho following day and
also drew the picture reproduced in Slide #2.- The window through
which the object was observed is on the northwest
corner of the house, facing north.
This investigator followed-up on the report about a week after
the incident and determined that the boy appeared to be objective
about details of tho report and was not inclined to embellish his
account.
5. Date: April 3, 1973 — 2345 PST
Activity Location: In sky, south of Toppenish, Washington
Observer Locations: Toppenish (two independent observers)
Summary:
A tan colored, luminous object at an estimated altitude
of 4000 to 6000 ft. was observed moving from west to east,
parallel to and slightly north of Toppenish Ridge. First
impression of one observer was that the object was an aircraft.
However, the tan color, absence of flashing running lights and
lack of any sound appeared to rule-out the possibility of a
conventional aircraft. Speed of the object was estimated to be
under 200 mph.
6. Date: April 4, 1973 — 0115 PST
Activity Location: East of US 97, on LaRue Rd.
Observer Location: Same
Summary:
The observer was in bed when he heard a high-pitched,
whining sound. He looked out of the window and observed an object
about 80 ft. long and 30 to 40 ft. wide passing directly over the
house. The object was florescent or a slightly glowing,
whitish-blue color, with darker blue-colored spots scattered over
the surface. Altitude was estimated at 150 ft. The
object moved from east to west and was observed until it
disappeared over White Swan.
Flight path of the object reported in (5.) above was only
slightly north of the above location. This investigator was
unsuccessful in contacting the witness directly for further
details of the sighting.
7. Date: Week prior to April 4, 1973 — evening hours
Activity Location: Vicinity of White Swan, Wash.
Observer Location: Unknown
Summary:
During a series of night time brush fires in the area,
small white balls of light, about the size of tennis balls, or
larger had been observed coming out of the dark, circling the
fires several times and then moving back into the darkness.
8. Date: Jun 22, 1973 — late afternoon
Activity Location: Over Logy Creek
Observer Location: Satus Fire Lookout
Summary:
Slide nos. 3 and 4 are full frame and magnified copies
of one slide taken by an observer located at Satus Fire Lookout.
Exact time of the exposure was not logged and the time was given
only as “late afternoon”. The witness reported that it was cloudy
with complete coverage at the time of the sighting. A
thunderstorm had been in the area earlier.
Quoting from the observer: “I was looking out the window in
the door, when I saw this “thing” come from behind a cloud.
The bright red color was what caught my eye. My first thought was
“what on earth is that?” At almost the same instant, I
ran, got my camera, opened the door and quick-like took a
picture. As I took the camera away from my eye, it, the object
was heading behind another cloud. It was headed from SW to NE. It
was kind of this (elliptical) shape as I remember, with this
extra bright red glow or light or whatever. I can’t exactly say,
except it was brilliant red and large. Maybe I should have
looked better, rather than thinking “I must get a picture”. It
was moving quite rapidly.”
Additional questioning revealed that the object was positioned
SSE of the lookout, over Logy Creek at the time of the
photograph. The distance from the camera would then have been
approximately 9 1/2 miles. The lookout structure has two doors,
co-located at the SE corner of the south side of the building.
The inside door opens inward and is covered with glass panes. The
outside door is a standard screen door which opens outward. The
line in the upper right-hand quadrant of the picture is a guy
wire used to hold the lookout on its foundations during high
winds. The photograph was taken through the screen door.
The camera used by the observer was a Kodak 35. This is a
simple range-finder camera with an adjustable f3.5, 50mm lens.
At the time of the exposure, the lens was set at f3.5 and the
shutter speed was 1/25 second. High-speed Ektachrome, daylight
film was used and development was for the standard ASA rating of
160.
The photographer was an experienced fire lookout who has had a
number of UFO sightings. The need for “hard” photographic data
had been impressed upon her and other lookouts in the Reservation
network during the field study made by this investigator in the
summer of 1972. She therefore had the camera ready for the
occasion of the above observation. It is probable that, If such
preparations had not been made, the photograph would never have
been taken. It is to her credit that she had the presence of mind
to take the picture in the very short period of time in which the
object was visible.
9. Date: July 20, 1973 — evening hours
Activity Location: between Sopelia and Satus Fire Lookouts
Observer Locations: Sopelia and Satus Fire Lookouts
Summary:
Both fire lookouts observed a very fast moving light,
travelling from southeast to northwest. The sighting was of very
short duration. Lightning had been observed to the north of Satus
Lookout earlier in the evening.
10. Date: July 22-23 — 2245 to 0100 PST
Activity Location: Horse Heaven Hills
Observer Location: Satus Fire Lookout (two observers)
Summary:
Three orange lights below the ridges of Horse Heaven
Hills were observed at intervals during a two hour period. The
lights would disappear at about the same time and re-appear 15 or
20 minutes later at nearly the same time. While visible, they
would flicker and move slightly. With the naked eye, the
lights were separated by about 5ø of azimuth. No roads are
in the area of the sighting.
Distance from the observers was 18 miles. Given a 5ø separation
angle, the objects would have to have been about a mile apart. It
would be difficult to attribute the nearly synchronous “on” and
“off” characteristics of the lights to automobiles or
motorcycles operating at such distances apart.
11. Date: July 24, 1973 — 2245 to 2400 PST
Activity Location: Below and between Satus Fire Lookout and Mill
Creek Rd.
Observer Location: Satus Fire Lookout
Summary:
A bright red object was seen moving in an area where
there are no roads, below the lookout and between the lookout and
Mill Creek Canyon. Photographs were attempted, but nothing was
found on the film after development. It is possible that the
object was too far away to photograph.
12. Date: July 27, 1973 — 0300 PST
Activity Location: Granger, Washington
Observer Location: 4 miles east of Granger
Summary:
Two observers were outside feeding cows at the Dolson
Dairy (locally called the “Cow Palace”), located at the
intersection Or East Zillah and North Liberty Roads, 4 miles east
of Zillah, Washington. At approximately 0300, both observers
spotted an object in the sky to the west, in front of the hills
which lie behind the town of Granger. The object generally
followed the line of hills, moving SE slowly and silently towards
the town of Mabton.
After watching the object for 15 to 20 minutes, one observer went
inside to report the sighting. He dialed the telephone company
operator and was referred to the Toppenish Police dispatcher.
After describing the circumstances of the sighting to the police
dispatcher, he again joined the other observer and continued to
watch the object. Time was 0320 (verified by the police
dispatcher).
The Toppenish dispatcher called the Yakima County Sheriff’s
dispatcher. The sheriff’s dispatcher said that the Yakima
Firing Center had two helicopters somewhere on maneuvers at that
time and that these craft might account for the sighting. The
Toppenish dispatcher received a second report at 0338 (See 13.
below). The dispatcher noted information concerning the second
report and called the first observer back to ask if the object he
was seeing was still visible. It was. The observer again went
outside just in time to see the object disappear over the highest
point, Snipes Mountain, SE of Granger. Co-workers at the dairy
were not called until the object had disappeared from view.
Estimated total observation time was 1/2 hour.
Physical characteristics of the object were such that they could
not have been those of a conventional aircraft: Movement was very
slow and steady — approximately 3-4 mph. No noise was heard and
any kind of powered aircraft would have clearly audible at that
distance and time of morning.
The object appeared as a pair of lights moving in a definite,
periodic pattern. The color of the light emitted by the object
was reddish-orange. Because of the repetitive nature of the light
pattern and the fixed relationship of the lights to one another,
the observers felt that the lights must have been attached to a
body or fuselage of some sort and spinning around this body. The
structure would have been about the size of an F-27 airliner,
according to the estimate of one observer. Figure 1. shows
schematically the pattern traced by the lights. The object was at
an elevation of about 0ø relative to the
observers, since the observation point is on a hill overlooking
Granger. The lights of Granger were also clearly visible under
the object.
13. Date: July 27, 1973 — 0338 PST
Activity Location: Zillah Cemetery, Zillah, Washington
Observer Location: Same
Summary:
A deputy marshal was driving 1/4 mile east of the Zillah
cemetery on the Zillah-Toppenish Road when he observed two side-
by-side orange balls of light straight ahead of his
patrol car, to the west. The lights were above and behind
trees located in the cemetery, over the Yakima River which runs
behind the cemetery. His attention was diverted momentarily from
the lights while he shined the spotlight of his patrol car into
the yard of a house on his right. He again looked back to the
cemetery and saw that the lights were moving in his general
direction.
The marshal drove to the entrance of the Zillah cemetery,
opened the gate and drove into the cemetery grounds. The
entrance road heads in a SW direction and the observer
watched the lights through the trees as he drove approximately
600 ft. to a point where the drive is closest to the river. He
stopped the car and called the Toppenish police dispatcher on the
radio, telling her that he was observing a UFO. She informed him
that the Yakima Firing Center had helicopters on maneuvers
somewhere in the area.
The deputy next turned-off the car engine and walked
approximately 100 ft. to a point where the cemetery ends in a
bluff overlooking the Yakima River. The lights continued
very slowly, appearing to move directly towards him.
The lights, estimated at about 2 ft. in diameter, moved
smoothly and maintained a very rigid spacing, as if attached to
each other, throughout the sighting. They remained oriented
side-by-side and had sharp, well defined outlines.
At a distance of about 1/4 mile from the deputy, the lights
turned, still maintaining their rigid spacing, and headed south.
After travelling approximately another 1/4 mile, the lights
executed another turn and headed southeast. At this time,
the deputy returned to his patrol car and called the Toppenish
dispatcher again, saying in no uncertain terms that what he was
observing was not a helicopter. The car engine had been off and
he had heard absolutely no noise.
During the entire observation, the lights seemed to generally
follow the path of the river bed. Altitude was just over the
trees along the river and nearly the same as the observer. The
lights were observed until they disappeared from view
behind hills southeast of the cemetery, towards the town of
Granger.
As in (12.) above, the deputy had the impression that some mass
was in between the two lights, because of their rigid spacing. It
was to dark to see anything other the lights, however.
14. Date: August 25, 1973 — 1930 and 1945 PST
Activity Location: Mt. Adams Lake, west of Signal Peak
Observer Location: Same
Summary:
Several members of a camping party observed a rapidly
moving, fairly large white ball of light coming from the
northwest and passing overhead at 1930. No sound was heard and
altitude was estimated at 30,000 to 40,000 ft. At 1945, two
smaller lights were seen coming over the top of Mt. Adams and
moving to the northeast. The lights were staggered in position,
with the front one an orange color and the rear one white.
Altitude was estimated to be the same as for the light seen at
1930. No noise was heard. Observers were familiar with the
appearance of meteors and insisted that the lights were not
meteors.
Before proceeding further, some general comments should be
made regarding apparent relationships between several of the
above reports. Report Nos. 1. and 2. are typical of one type of
nocturnal light report which has been common since the study
began in 1972. In this class, steady or flashing lights; usually
red, orange or white in color, are observed to be present on or
near the ground in areas where there is normally no vehicular
traffic. Observations frequently last a 1/2 hour or more, but
when police or fire units are dispatched to the area (assuming
the area can be reached), nothing unusual is found. This type of
incident has occurred too frequently to be coincidental. Over the
last two years, nocturnal lights of the type described above have
been seen repeatedly in areas along the north slope of Toppenish
Ridge, between the towns of Toppenish and White Swan. This
portion of Toppenish Ridge is easily observed from many points in
the valley and one might conclude that this visual accessibility
accounts for some of the concentration of sighting reports in
this area. Report No. 3., the “dinner bell”, also came from this
area.
Report Nos. 4, 5, 6 and 7, dated between April 1 and 4,
appear to reflect a peak of activity which was followed by a
complete absence of reports until the fire lookout’s photograph
of June 22 (Report No. 8.). Activity appeared to hold at a
steady, though low level until the end of July. Except for the
report of August 25 (No. 14), no other observations were reported
in 1973. Report No. 14 appears to be a maverick, because it
occurred after the July peak and at a very remote point on the
Reservation. It is not, however, unlike other nocturnal light
reports of the type where large, high altitude lights; in tan,
orange or white colors, with unusual flight patterns that have
been seen in the area.
Finally, Report Nos. 12 and 13 appear to have been separate,
but coincident observations. This conclusion is based on the time
sequence supported by the Toppenish Police dispatcher’s log and
witness testimony. Despite the similarities between both reports,
it appears unlikely that the same object was involved in both
sightings.
ANALYSIS OF REPORTS FOR 1973
A total of fourteen credible reports were received during
the calendar year 1973. Eight of these reports were followed-up
for additional information by this investigator. The observations
ranged from distant nocturnal lights and night time close
encounters of the type I (i.e. no interaction between the
observer and object) to a couple of daylight sightings, one
supported by a photograph. Tho following table summarizes the
reports by type:
Type of No. of Report
Report Type Numbers
——————————————————–
Nocturnal lights 9 1,2,5,7,9,10,11,12,14
Close Encounters I 3 4,6,13
Daylight Objects 2 3,8
All of the reports, except No. 7, were encoded for computer
analysis using the recently developed APDF format. Under the APDF
encoding rules, Report Nos. 3,8 and 13 were given Strangeness
Indexes of 5, the highest value assignable. Of these four, Report
Nos. 3, 8 and 13 were given average or above average credibility
Indexes. The number of sighting reports from the Yakima
Reservation area is still too small to pursue an in-depth
statistical analysis, but an initial attempt has been made to
identify some of the more gross behavior patterns of the UFO
activity in the area.
A bar graph representation of the number of reports versus
the week of incidence in the year has been plotted for the
fourteen reports. The result is shown in Figure 1. Notice the
tendency for the reports to “clump” into groups. (For reference,
it should be noted that activity, as indicated by sighting
reports, following the 1972 field study, continued on a
diminished level through the end of 1972.)
A majority of the reports from the area have resulted from
observations made after dark. The sample is still too small to
quantify the trends, but data collected over the last two years
suggests that most observations tend to occur between the hours
of 1800 and 0100 local time.
Concise weather data (Table I.) was available for the
sighting area after June 1 of 1973. There was no particular
correlation discernable between weather conditions and the
occurrence of UFO activity. Past experience in the area also
tends to discount such a connection. What previously appeared to
be a peaking of activity during the summer months is possibly the
result of the fact that more observers are present during the
summer months to report the phenomena. This contention is
supported by the fact that winter sightings have been more common
since active report collection efforts have been made.
The reports were analyzed in order to find some pattern in
line of direction. A linear grid 40X70 miles, centered over the
Yakima Indian Reservation, was constructed and observation
locations were plotted. Arrows representing direction of travel
(where available from reports, were next drawn on the plot.
======================================================================
*****************************************************************
A STATISTICAL SUMMARY OF REPORTS FROM THE TOPPENISH UFO STUDY
*****************************************************************
By
David W. Akers, P.E.
P.O. Box 11517
Seattle, WA 98110-5517 USA
Email: 70544.1653@compuserve.com
*****************************************************************
Revised December 5, 1995 for Distribution on
Electronic Networks.
Copyright 1995, David W. Akers
All Rights Reserved.
Reproduction or commercial use of this document or any of its
photographs or illustrations without permission of the author is
expressly prohibited. This document may however be redistributed
over electronic networks and to researchers as long as it is
forwarded in its whole, without modifications and without charge.
*****************************************************************
INTRODUCTION
This report is intended as an update of earlier reports
covering the efforts being made to discover the source of UFO
activity on the Yakima Indian Reservation, near Toppenish,
Washington. It is devoted to a brief description of the type and
format of data being collected for statistical analysis and to
reporting progress being made towards the discovery of patterns
of behavior for the manifestation in the study area (1).
A summary of selected data, obtained over the four year
period of the study, is included at the end of the report.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DATA BASE
The value of a system for encoding and storing reports of
UFO observations in a standardized form, which permits high-
volume, computer-aided study, was recognized early by a number of
investigators in the field. Unfortunately, there was little
communication between the groups involved in establishing data
files and, consequently, no standardization of data formats. This
lack of standardization, along with substantial disagreement over
just what information should be included in such a file, has made
the exchange of information among the various investigators and
groups extremely difficult.
Faced with the above lack of standardization and detailed
information regarding the formats being used by others, this
investigator set-out to develop still another database format in
1971. The file, called APDF, was originally intended to catalog
the pertinent details of worldwide UFO sighting reports on a
systematic basis. The format used for encoding data from the
Toppenish study area is a modified version of the original format
and, while it is not the last word in computer databases,
provides a means of analyzing the patterns of many parameters of
sighting reports, over a number of years and in a consistent time
and location reference frame. Table I. gives the parameters
included in APDF encoded reports from the study area.
(1)Earlier reports, dated November 2, 1972 and April 8, 1974,
provide additional background on the work being conducted
in the study area.
TABLE I. PARAMETERS INCLUDED IN THE APDF DATA FORMAT
Parameter Remarks
—————————————————————–
1. Observation Date and Date at Greenwich Mean.
Serial Number
2. Observation Time Time at Greenwich Mean (Universal
Time).
3. Observation Coordinates Latitude and Longitude to nearest
tenth of a minute, when location
is off of Yakima Reservation grid.
Grid coordinates to the
nearest mile, when known and within
the Reservation study area.
4. Population Density
5. Topography
6. Temperature
7. Weather Conditions Cloud cover, precipitation, etc.
8. Source of Report Press, police, investigator, etc.
9. Strangeness Index Subjective scale of 1 to 5.
10. Probability Index Subjective scale of 1 to 5.
11. Observation Class Nocturnal light, Radar-Visual,
Close encounter, daylight object,
etc.
12. Length Or Observation
13. Shape of object
14. Color of Object
15. Luminescence
16. Kinetics
17. How First Observed
18. How Last Observed
19. Observer Reaction
20. Additional Observations Smoke, odor, sound, photographs,
etc. (up to four of 27 choices,
plus a flag indicating other
observations of interest
in the source report, which were
not encoded.)
Each report, with all of the parameters given in Table I.
encoded, occupies one standard IBM Hollerith card. Rapid and
consistent coding of reports is accomplished with a set of tables
which closely define the characteristics of each parameter of the
source report and convert that information into numerical data.
The resulting punched card contains most of the information in
the source report, but now in a form which can be analyzed by the
computer.
All of the reports encoded using the above system are
coarsely filtered, as described in earlier papers, to eliminate
observations which have too little information content to be
usable or those which include details strongly suggesting a known
cause. In addition, reports which do not include a date are
eliminated from the computer file, since such information is
required by the operating program to unambiguously identify the
report.
It should be noted that the APDF format allows the deletion
of any unknown parameters, with the exception of the year, month,
day and, at least, the approximate location of the observation.
Some of the reports gathered during the last four year were
deleted from the computer file as a result of the above
constraints. In some cases, the deleted reports were of
reasonably good quality, lacking only a date.
SUMMARY OF SELECTED DATA GATHERED SINCE 1972
The total number of reports, encoded since the study began
in 1972, stands at 55. These reports breakdown into tho following
classifications:
Nocturnal Lights 43 (78.1%)
Daylight Objects 3 ( 5.5%)
Close Encounters I 6 (10.9%)
Others 3 ( 5.5%)
Figure I. is a plot of the number of reports received over
the four year study period versus the month Or the year. Figure
II. graphs the number of reports versus the hour of the day, over
the four year period.
Further analysis of these data indicates, among other things,
that there were nine photographs made, four cases involving the
scouting of a terrestrial vehicle, at least one case involving
electromagnetic effects, one case of a “beeping” sound and one
case in which animals were affected.
CONCLUSION
It seems certain that, as more cases are added to the data
base and further analysis of the information is made, some
patterns of behavior will become apparent. The ultimate goal, of
course, is to be able to forecast periods of activity and their
most probable locations. With such information, it should be
possible to deploy an investigator and instruments in the field,
with the greater probability that useful measurements will be
obtained.
Because of the relatively small number of reports available,
caution should be used in drawing conclusions from the data at
this time. A pattern which does seem to emerge from the
information available at the present time, is the relationship
between the number of sightings and the hour of the day (Figure
II.). It would appear that the time of highest probability for a
sighting in the study area is in the zone between 7 pm and 12
midnight, local standard time. The peak in reports, centered
about the month of July, in the plot of Figure I., might be
reasonably expected, since more observers are in the field during
this period. The February-March-April peak, found in Figure I.,
lacks a satisfactory explanation at the present time.
At the time of this writing, activity in the study area is
very low. Reports reached a peak towards the end of May, 1975 and
abruptly dropped to only two reports in the following 5 month
period. Such behavior has been observed before and is not
considered to be unusual.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The collection of the data for study in the Toppenish project would be impossible without the patience and hard work of those people who have forwarded reports to this investigator. Without the assistance of Bill Vogel, the ladies in the fire lookouts, the Yakima Reservation Tribal Council and many other individuals, this on-going study would be impossible.
Many thanks for their help.