The First Official Accounts  From Betty and Barney Hill Detailing Their Extraordinary UFO Encounter on September 19, 1961

Betty and barney Hills' first official reports

For some, it is a challenge; for others, it feels utterly impossible to entertain the notion that an ordinary American couple, in the twilight of a delightful vacation, could be suddenly abducted from the highway by an enigmatic, soundless, hovering vehicle.

Betty and Barney Hill attempted to dismiss the idea that they had been abducted by non-humans late on the night of September 19, 1961. Yet mysterious memories of that night were etched into their minds and reinforced by circumstantial and physical evidence. You may know of their report to the US Air Force’s Project Blue Book at Pease Air Force Base in Newington, New Hampshire, on September 21, the day after they arrived home from their vacation trip to Niagara Falls and Montreal, Canada. This paper will offer evidence from the archival record without speculation.

The former chief of police in a small New Hampshire town advised Betty and Barney to file a report at Pease Air Force Base in nearby Newington. He was the Hills' bother-in-law's best friend. It was already nighttime when they spoke to him, so they waited until the following day to contact Major Paul W. Henderson at Pease Air Force Base in Newington, NH. Below you will find an authentic copy of the Hills' report.

betty and barney hill official project blue book report

The Project Blue Book Bomb Wing SAC

report 100-1-61

Key Information

• It changed direction abruptly.

•  It stopped and hovered in the air.

• When it swooped down it was the size of a dinner plate.

• While hovering, objects began to appear from the body of the “object” like wings with the V shape extended.

• At this point, they decided to get out of the area and fast.

• Mrs. Hill watched by sticking her head out the window but her view was obstructed and this prevented her observation of its full departure.

• They heard short, loud buzzes that they described like someone had dropped a tuning fork in Lincoln.

• They could feel these buzzes.

• They heard them again about thirty miles south of Lincoln near Ashland, but they did not see the object this time.

• Mrs. Hill described the flight pattern as “erratic.” It “changed directions rapidly. During its flight it ascended and descended numerous times very rapidly. Its flight was described as jerky, not smooth.

nicap investigation of betty and barney hill

The National Investigations on Aerial Phenomena Confidential Report by Astronomer

and NICAP Investigator Walter Webb

On September 26, after Betty had thoroughly engaged with her first book on UFOs, The Flying Saucer Conspiracy  (1955) by Major Donald Keyhoe (retired). Inside the cover, she discovered a request for UFO reports directed to NICAP, prompting her to compose a letter addressed to NICAP Director Donald Keyhoe. NICAP was a scientifically-driven organization that attracted a variety of individuals including military personnel, Central Intelligence Agency members, both active and retired scientists, and enthusiastic members of the public.  In her letter, she described the craft's unusual flight pattern and its peculiar rotation while it hovered, creating a twinkling effect. Barney's account noted seeing many figures moving around as if engaged in some urgent preparation and one figure closely observing them from the windows. She also mentioned that Barney became shocked and dashed back into the car, in a state of hysteria, "laughing and repeating that they were going to capture us." As they traveled along the highway, they heard several buzzing or beeping sounds that seemed to impact the trunk of their automobile. Her correspondence led to a visit from Walter Webb, a conservative investigator from NICAP and chairman of the Boston, Massachusetts NICAP subcommittee, as well as an astronomy lecturer at the Hayden Planetarium in the Boston Museum of Science. They met at the Hills' residence on October 21, 1961, for eight hours. He subsequently drafted a confidential NICAP report. 

Hill confidential nicap report

Walter Webb’s confidential Massachusetts Subcommittee Unit #1 NICAP report

Dated October 26, 1961, Walter Webb's report includes additional information revealing that Barney chose not to disclose his experiences to the USAF due to his concerns about facing ridicule.

• The band of lights was not continuous around the object but occupied about half the entire rim, and the other half was dark, causing a twinkling or blinking effect as the object rotated.

• The UFO came around to the front of the car and stopped midair to the right of the highway 80 to 100 feet above the ground.

• The lighted edge of the object, a double row of windows through which a cold, bluish-white, fluorescent glow shown, was visible and a red light on each side of the object was seen.

• The UFO was no longer spinning.

• Mr. Hill braked the car to a halt but left the headlights on and the engine running. He opened the door on his side and stepped out onto the highway for a better look through binoculars.

• At that moment, the UFO shifted position from right to left in front of the car and hovered in midair.

• Barney followed it when it moved across the highway. The object tilted downward slightly and began descending slowly in his direction.

• Now he could see eight to eleven separate figures watching him. They were dressed in black, shiny uniforms and caps with peaks or bills on them. Suddenly there was a “burst of activity.” Everyone turned in unison toward what seemed like a panel and only one remained at the window.

• The craft filled up the entire field of his binoculars.

• The one at the window showed an intense concentration that Barney could almost feel, to carry out a plan. Barney believed that he was going to be captured like a “bug in a net.”

• That is when he knew it was no conventional aircraft but something alien and unearthly containing beings of a superior type, beings that were “somehow not human.”

• The object was now 50 to 80 feet up and possibly 50 to 100 feet away.

Webb did not record the eight-hour interview he conducted with the Hills, both separately and together. In 1961, recording devices were cumbersome, comparable to the size of a picnic cooler, and utilized delicate reel-to-reel tape, making them uncommon in most households. Nevertheless, his assistant meticulously documented the discussions. Furthermore, Webb maintained communication with the Hills and later captured photographs of Barney at the site of the close encounter in Lincoln. It's crucial to recognize that Webb was a highly esteemed investigator; however, this was his first major case. He navigated the investigation without the advanced technology available today. He later expressed that had he understood the significance of the case, he would have sought out a recording device.

There are a few minor inconsistencies in the later details of his report; however, these discrepancies are relatively insignificant and likely stem from the Hills not revisiting their route to accurately recall their observations and stops. He conducted the interview before they had the chance to retrace their path. For instance, his report indicates that the Hills first spotted the UFO around midnight in Groveton, NH. After the Hills retraced their journey, they discovered that they had actually seen the aerial object south of Lancaster.

Additionally, they reported their departure from Howard's restaurant in Colebrook at exactly 10:05 PM. The journey from Colebrook to Groveton spans 20.44 miles, under a night that was both light and clear. Barney mentioned he was indeed driving above the speed limit. Following this, Betty and Barney concluded that their first sighting of the UFO took place south of Lancaster, which is situated 8.1 miles south of Groveton. They noted making stops at the Mt. Cleveland picnic area, at the renowned Old Man of the Mountain in Franconia Notch, and at the close encounter field, located roughly a mile south of the Indian Head Resort on Route 3 in North Lincoln. This narrative aligns consistently with their testimonies to Dr. Benjamin Simon during separate hypnosis sessions and with those provided to other  investigators. They reached the close encounter field close to midnight. Covering the distance from their stop in Colebrook to the encounter field in Lincoln is approximately seventy miles. Given their stops to witness the approaching craft, it is reasonable to assert that they arrived in Lincoln shortly before midnight. If they sustained a speed of 45 miles per hour, the journey would have taken about one hour and 33 minutes, allowing the Hills ample time for their observational pauses.

Webb's assistant meticulously transcribed the eight-hour interview he conducted with the Hills, both individually and together, alongside Barney's friend, retired USAF officer James MacDonald. Later, he realized he had neglected to photograph the new shiny circles on the trunk of the Hills' vehicle, which caused the compass needle to spin wildly, indicating a significant magnetic field. Nevertheless, he kept in touch with the Hills and subsequently captured images of Barney and their vehicle at the close encounter site in Lincoln. It's essential to recognize that Webb was a highly esteemed investigator known for his thoroughness.