FBI Files Reveal 1947 Flying Disc Investigations and a Psychic's Warning

In the summer Investigation found itself drawn into a national phenomenon that defied easy explanation. The Bureau's files from that year, now preserved in the holdings of The Black Vault's FOIA archive, reveal a sprawling paper trail of field office communications, witness statements, and recovered objects—each piece adding to a mosaic of confusion, curiosity, and cautious official response. These documents, compiled from FBI field offices and related correspondence, capture a moment when the Bureau was tasked not with solving the mystery of the "flying discs," but with coordinating the flood of reports and determining what, if anything, fell within its jurisdiction.

The records show an agency navigating uncharted territory. Bureau Bulletin No. 42, Series 1947, dated July 30, instructed field offices to investigate all reports concerning flying discs—a directive that transformed scattered sightings into a structured, nationwide inquiry.

Yet the Bureau's role was far from clear-cut. Internal memoranda reveal a…