On November 14, 1963, the U.S. Embassy in Rio de Janeiro sent a cable to the State Department seeking clarification about newspaper reports in Salvador, Brazil. The cable describes local claims that a large metal manned balloon had been found near Salvador around November 8, with a dead crew member in a uniform or spacesuit bearing strange markings, and that a crater had formed upon impact. The embassy also noted that an object had been sighted in the area around that date and was tentatively identified as a weather-type balloon, but that no such object had actually been found on the ground.
What was the reported incident?
According to local newspaper reports cited in the cable, a large metal manned balloon was allegedly found in the vicinity of Salvador, Brazil, around November 8, 1963. The reports claimed a dead crew member was aboard, wearing a uniform or spacesuit with strange markings, and that a crater had formed upon impact.
What was the official identification?
The cable states that an object sighted in the area around that date had been tentatively identified as a weather-type balloon. However, the cable also notes that no such object had actually been found on the ground, suggesting the newspaper reports may not have been accurate.
Why did the embassy send this cable?
The Science Attache in Rio de Janeiro sent the cable to seek clarification and correct understanding of the newspaper reports. The cable was passed to the Defense Department and NASA on November 14, 1963, indicating that multiple U.S. agencies had interest in the matter.
Full Document Text
Text extracted directly from the source PDF. Text extraction via abigailhaddad/ufo-releases; original file at war.gov.
Read the full text (4,767 characters)
--- PAGE 1 ---
e ACTION COPY
:>l - . PERMANENT RECORD COPY
INCOMINGT Ii~ Department of State
59
UNCLASSIFIED
Action
SCI
Info ' ....
G
ESA l29SUA075
ARA Rq ·•RIJEKC
IO 0£ RU£SUA 2~+ 14/ l 740Z
p ZN~
USIA R 141522Z
NSC
INR
Fit AMEMBASSY mIQDLJANEIR,tY
TO ~UEHC/SECSTATE VASHDC
5(
CIA ZEN/Af!fCONSUL SALVADOR '· ·
STATE GRNC •
NSA BT •
'! NSF
,. RMR U~CLAS
0 ACTION SALVADOR 94 INFO D£Pf ~ R
DE A~TM£NT PASS DEFENSE AND NASA ~
RIO FOURTEENTH .
FROO SCIATT SIMOf:JPIETRI • ,
. SINCl R~OIOTELE_PHONE CONNECTION LAST NIOKI AS AK, pt AS£
~ a>~- OR CORRECT Y UNDERSTANOINO OF YOUR UNQUALIFIED
-~GATIVf; ON LOCAL NEWSPAPER REPORT TO EFFECT THAT LARGE METAL
MANNED B~LLOON ffAD·BEEN FOUND VICINITY SALVADOR APPROXIMATELY
(/)
-u
I NOVEMBER 8, DEAD CREWMAN ABOARD WEARING UNIFORM OR SPACESUIT
VITH STRANGE MARKINGS, THAT ,otm-METER•DEAP CRATER FORMED
lPON f;. PACT.
CFN 9 1054
.
_.
I\)
I
j PAGE T O RU£SUA 264
0-J
CD
::0
t
J r UNDERSTAND FURTHER THAT AH OBJECT ffAD BEEN SIOKl'ED At.,o,r )>
IN TK~'r VICINITY AROUND THAT DATE, THAT SAID OBJECT HAD BEEN N
T£NTATIVELY IDENTIFIED .AS WEATHER-TYPE BALLOON, BUJ' THAT NO
REPEAT NO SUCH OBJECT HAD B£EN FOUND AGROUND. (
AIR AD SCIENCE ATTACHES APPREC IATE COOPERATION. GORDON r
Br
S()TE: PASSED DEFENSE ANQ NASA AT 2 :20 PK 11/14/63
...
INlERNATIOM,L S~IENTIFIC AFFAIRS
0 963
i
I
1. V l
PM
AMS 910111211 Ir ,314 ,51
6
7, 1 1
1
~
• ' • This copy must be returned to RM/ R central files with notation of actio taken•
'
DECLASSIFIED NND 939551 View the official fileFrequently Asked Questions
What did the newspaper reports claim was found?
According to the cable, local newspaper reports claimed that a large metal manned balloon had been found in the vicinity of Salvador, Brazil, around November 8, 1963. The reports stated that a dead crew member was aboard, wearing a uniform or spacesuit with strange markings, and that a crater had formed upon impact.
What was the tentative official identification?
The cable states that an object sighted in the area around that date had been tentatively identified as a weather-type balloon.
Was any physical object actually recovered?
No. The cable explicitly states that no such object had been found on the ground, despite the newspaper reports and the sighting.
Which U.S. agencies received this information?
The cable was sent from the U.S. Embassy in Rio de Janeiro to the Office of the Secretary of State and was passed to the Defense Department and NASA on November 14, 1963.
Congressional Context
No confirmed links between this file and the congressional record yet. Connections are added only when the source text supports them, never inferred.