Maury Island Incident -- Kenneth Arnold Investigates
Maury Island Incident -- Kenneth Arnold Investigates
Arnold's Position in 1947
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Kenneth Arnold |
| Occupation | Private pilot; businessman; sales representative for fire control equipment |
| Age in 1947 | 32 years old |
| Key June 24, 1947 sighting | While flying his CallAir A-2 near Mount Rainier, Washington, Arnold observed nine objects flying in formation at speeds he estimated at over 1,200 miles per hour; his description of their motion as like "a saucer skipping over water" gave birth to the term "flying saucer"; the sighting made him nationally famous |
| Why Palmer chose him | Arnold had become the most famous UFO witness in the country following June 24; his aviation credentials and business background gave him credibility; his personal interest in investigating sightings made him an obvious candidate |
| Later writing | Co-authored "The Coming of the Saucers" with Ray Palmer (1952); included a detailed account of the Maury Island investigation |
The Investigation
Arnold traveled to Tacoma, Washington, at Palmer's expense to investigate the Maury Island claims. He interviewed Harold Dahl on July 29, 1947. His assessment of the meeting with Dahl:
- Dahl's account was detailed and internally consistent in its broad outlines
- However, Dahl seemed reluctant and evasive at several points
- The physical debris Crisman showed Arnold was immediately suspicious -- part of it resembled ordinary aluminum scrap, and nothing about it suggested an exotic origin
- Arnold suspected a hoax but also felt there might be something to the story he was not yet seeing
Arnold brought in additional resources: he recruited Captain E.J. Smith of United Airlines, who had his own UFO sighting on July 4, 1947, near Boise, Idaho, and who was staying in Tacoma. Smith could provide a second experienced aviation perspective on the claims.
Calling in the Military
Arnold then contacted Lieutenant Frank Brown of Military Intelligence at Hamilton Field, California. Brown had previously investigated Arnold's own Mount Rainier sighting. Arnold trusted him. Brown arrived in Tacoma accompanied by Captain William L. Davidson, his commanding officer.
Arnold and Smith interviewed Dahl and Crisman alongside Brown and Davidson. The military officers collected samples of the debris. They were reportedly skeptical of the claims but agreed to take the material for examination. Arnold later wrote that the officers did not express their skepticism in front of him to avoid embarrassing him -- they had apparently already recognized the debris as ordinary material.
Arnold's Ongoing Uncertainty
Arnold's assessment of the Maury Island case was never as definitive as the FBI's or Ruppelt's. In "The Coming of the Saucers," he presented the case with sustained ambiguity. He was troubled by several elements:
- The mysterious phone calls to the Tacoma Times on the day of the crash
- The apparent foreknowledge the Man in Black had of Dahl's story
- Crisman's refusal to permanently recant
- The crash itself, which he found deeply disturbing
Arnold never publicly concluded the entire thing was a fabrication. His personal investment in the case -- and perhaps in the credibility of the flying saucer phenomenon generally -- may have made a clear hoax conclusion difficult.
