DOW-UAP-D181: Catalina Island observations reported to Kenneth Arnold
Percy E. Mackey’s 1949 letter to Kenneth Arnold describes two reported groups of observations over Avalon on Catalina Island: six objects seen singly, followed by four more seen by family members. The attached record card counts six objects and concludes that the information is insufficient for evaluation, with no photographs or physical evidence listed.
- File
- Document · Release 07
- Date
- 1949-04-28
- Location
- Catalina Island, California
- Extent
- 3 pages
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Probed Assessment
The letter describes six objects followed by four more; the record card summarizes only six and finds insufficient information for evaluation.
Key takeaways
- Mackey attributes the sightings to his wife, a schoolteacher and other family members rather than claiming that he observed every object himself.
- The handwritten letter contains a second reported observation omitted from the short record-card summary.
- No photographs, physical evidence or precise flight measurements accompany the account.
Why it matters
The attached letter preserves witness roles and the second reported observation that the administrative summary compresses.
Corroboration
The card and letter belong to the same released case file and are not independent confirmation. The official evaluation remains insufficient data.
Open questions
- • Was the fuller account offered by Mackey ever obtained?
- • What were the objects’ appearances, duration and exact course?
Probed separates this editorial assessment from the source claims below. It summarizes what the released artifact supports; it is not independent verification.
Official Description from War.gov
This file contains correspondence from Mr. Percy Wackey of Avalon, California to Mr. Kenneth Arnold of Boise, Idaho. Mr. Wackey relayed that his wife and another individual reported observing six objects over Catalina Island on the night of April 28, 1949. A handwritten annotation and contemporary documentation associated with the letter indicate a conclusion by the U.S. Air Force that the incident lacked sufficient data for evaluation.
Preserved verbatim as source metadata. This wording is separate from Probed’s file-specific description and assessment.
File Context
Related entities
Tracker findings
Mackey relayed the reports through Kenneth Arnold
Percy E. Mackey wrote to Kenneth Arnold from Avalon on May 1, 1949, offering a fuller account of the reported observations.
First account described six objects in succession
Mackey reported that his wife and a schoolteacher saw six objects around 8 p.m. on April 28; the objects appeared singly rather than as a group.
A later family account described four more
The letter reports a second observation minutes later: Mackey’s wife, daughter and grandson saw four more objects traveling in the same direction.
Summary card omitted the second group
The record card summarizes six objects, each flying by alone, and does not include the letter’s separate account of four additional objects.
Air Force disposition was insufficient information
The official record card gives the evaluation as insufficient data, rather than identifying an object or establishing unusual performance.
Release provenance
- Release
- Release 07
- Official ID
- release-07-file-007-dow-uap-d181-unresolved-uap-report-catalina-island-1949
- Cleared
- Oct 23, 2026
Referenced Timeline
Reported Avalon observations
Mackey’s later letter places the two sets of reported observations on the evening of April 28, 1949.
Mackey writes to Kenneth Arnold
Mackey dates his letter from Avalon and offers to provide further detail about the reported objects.
Correspondence recorded
The routing card records the May 20 correspondence at 1100 on May 26, 1949.
LinkedKirtland Air Force Base
Source Claims
Claims are attributed to the released source and remain distinct from Probed’s assessment and tracker findings.
Percy E. Mackey wrote to Kenneth Arnold from Avalon on May 1, 1949, offering a fuller account of the reported observations.
Avalon, Calif., May 1st, 1949. Kenneth Arnold, Boise, Idaho.
Mackey reported that his wife and a schoolteacher saw six objects around 8 p.m. on April 28; the objects appeared singly rather than as a group.
my wife and a school teacher saw six objects in the sky, not in a group, but singly.
The letter reports a second observation minutes later: Mackey’s wife, daughter and grandson saw four more objects traveling in the same direction.
she and my daughter and my grandson saw four more. All traveling in the same direction.
The record card summarizes six objects, each flying by alone, and does not include the letter’s separate account of four additional objects.
Observer sighted six objects. Each flew by alone.
The record card classifies the report as ground-visual and records no photographs or physical evidence.
TYPE OF OBSERVATION: Ground-Visual ... PHOTOS: No ... PHYSICAL EVIDENCE: No
The official record card gives the evaluation as insufficient data, rather than identifying an object or establishing unusual performance.
INSUFFICIENT DATA FOR EVALUATION
The routing sheet identifies correspondence from the 17th District at Kirtland Field dated May 20, 1949, and records its receipt on May 26.
FROM: 17th Distr Kirtland Fld, NMex TO: IAXS DATED: 5/20/49
Source Material & Evidence
Research Map
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