A. C. Urie sighting, Snake River Canyon, Twin Falls
13 August 1947 · Twin Falls, Idaho
Summary
A. C. Urie, who ran a trout farm in the Snake River Canyon near Twin Falls, Idaho, reported seeing a disc-shaped object at about 1 p.m. on 13 August 1947. The Air Force-era incident summary lists his two sons as co-observers and records one object, in sight for a moment, about 300 feet away and 75 feet above the canyon floor (incident check-list). The Twin Falls Times-News ran Urie's account on 15 August under the headline that a saucer was seen flashing down the canyon at 1,000 miles per hour (Times-News clipping).
The FBI Butte office sent an urgent teletype to the Director on 15 August. It said Urie and his sons, Billie, 10, and Keith, 8, saw an object proceeding down the "Salmon River" at an estimated 1,000 miles per hour (Butte teletype). On 20 August the Special Agent in Charge, Butte, sent a memorandum with the newspaper account and Urie's sketches. It recorded that Urie first wrote Thursday, then corrected the date to Wednesday, 13 August (SAC Butte memo). Urie's handwritten notes carry the word Thursday (Urie's notes).
The memorandum recorded that the object was sky blue, with an exhaust flame about a foot through that left no smoke or odor (SAC Butte memo). It said trees under its path "spun around on top as if they were in a vacuum" (memo, page 2). The boys said it headed east to west along the canyon. Urie's wife, daughter and brother did not see it. The agent described Urie as a sober, middle-aged man, and the reporter John Brosnan also said Urie seemed completely sincere (memo, page 2).
The same memorandum covered a second report. L. W. Hawkins and J. H. Brown, fishing at Salmon dam, heard a roar and saw two objects at a great height. Brown said he had no idea how large they were and was very doubtful they were two planes (memo, page 2). The newspaper mentioned that a July 10 disc in Twin Falls had been revealed as a hoax after an Army and FBI investigation (Times-News). The files give no conclusion on what Urie saw.
Where the files disagree
Two documents give different accounts of the same detail. Both are quoted as written; we don't say which is right.
Date of the sighting
“In his notations, URIE mistakenly said that he had seen it on Thursday.” page 42 →
“The bottom and side view of the flying disc going down Snake river canyon at 1 p.m. Thursday at a distance of about 75 ft. up from ground.” page 134 →
River where the object was seen
“URIE STATED THIS OBJECT WAS PROCEEDING DOWN SALMON RIVER AT TERRIFIC SPEED ESTIMATED BY HIM AT ONE THOUSAND MILES PER HOUR.” page 29 →
“I obtained a close-up view of the flying saucer as it passed by the trout farm at 1 p. m. Aug. 13 going down Snake river canyon at a height of about 75 feet from the canyon floor.” page 44 →
Item the boys were sent to fetch
“URIE explained that he had sent his boys to the river to get some tape from his boat.” page 42 →
“URIE explained that he had sent his boys to the river to get some rope from his boat.” page 123 →
What the files say
“Smoke River Canyon (near Twin Falls) Idaho”
Page 161 →“URIE seemed completely sincere about the incident.”
Page 125 →“spun around on top as if they were in a vacuum.”
Page 43 →“I would estimate the speed at about 1,000 miles per hour.”
Page 44 →“It was all one color—sort of a light sky blue with a red, tubular fiery glow at the side of the top or hood,”
Page 45 →
Explanations in the record
What the documents themselves say the event was, as recorded. Not our assessment.
- The Times-News noted that an earlier Twin Falls disc, tossed into a yard on July 10, was revealed as a hoax by four teenage boys after Army and FBI investigation. The article did not tie this to Urie's sighting. — FBI file on 1947 flying saucer wave, Arnold sighting, page 45
- The Times-News reported speculation that the discs could be army or navy guided missile experiments, foreign experiments, or something out of this world. Urie said he thought it was guided by instruments and powered by atomic energy. — FBI file on 1947 flying saucer wave, Arnold sighting, page 45