Government2011

FBI's new online Vault puts its UFO file and the Hottel memo online

When: Apr 2011
Where: Washington, D.C.
Sources: 2 public sources

The 1950 Hottel memo, one of the UFO records the FBI put online in The Vault in 2011 Guy Hottel, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The FBI launched The Vault, an online reading room for released records, including its UFO file and a 1950 memo by agent Guy Hottel relaying a secondhand saucer-crash story. Some outlets called it Roswell proof; the FBI later said it never investigated the claim and saw no Roswell link.

Sources

PressFBI Opens Secret Document Vault: Does It Prove Aliens Landed in Roswell? (opens in a new tab)TheBlaze / 2011-04-10
PressFBI comes clean on top X-File: 'We never investigated' Hottel UFO memo (opens in a new tab)NBC News / 2013-03-27

How sources are chosen and tiered

How the story came out

This reports on Guy Hottel memo on "flying saucers" said to be recovered in New Mexico (22 Mar 1950).

See it on the timeline: happened vs became public

Where it fits

Earlier in GovernmentUK files show 1980-82 Defence Intelligence UFO records were destroyed3 Mar 2011 Later in GovernmentArgentine Air Force creates CEFAe to study aerospace phenomena6 May 2011

See it on the timeline More in Government