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Does the FBI Memo Prove a Roswell Crash?

The FBI memorandum is authentic as a record, but the extraordinary report it repeats remains unverified secondhand information.

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Preview for Does the FBI Memo Prove a Roswell Crash?

On this page

  • What the memorandum records
  • Why an authentic document can contain hearsay
  • What evidence would be needed to verify the report

Introduction

The so-called FBI Roswell memo is frequently presented online as official proof that the US government recovered crashed flying saucers and small humanoid bodies. That claim overstates what the document actually shows. The memorandum itself is authentic: it is a genuine FBI record written in March 1950 by Guy Hottel, the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office. However, the document records an unverified report passed through multiple intermediaries rather than the findings of an FBI investigation. The distinction is crucial. A genuine government document can faithfully preserve a rumour, allegation or intelligence lead without confirming that the underlying claim is true.[FBI]fbi.govufos and the guy hottel memoUFOs and the Guy Hottel Memo — FBIMarch 25, 2013…Published: March 25, 2013

FBI Memo illustration 1
Explanatory illustration 1

Within discussions of Roswell hoaxes and misinterpretations, the Hottel memorandum illustrates how authentic records can acquire a misleading reputation when their purpose, provenance and evidential value are misunderstood.

What the memorandum actually records

The memorandum is dated 22 March 1950, almost three years after the Roswell incident of July 1947. It summarises information that reached the FBI through several layers of reporting.

According to the memo:

  • An Air Force investigator had allegedly examined three “flying saucers” recovered in New Mexico.
  • Each object was said to be about 50 feet in diameter with a raised centre.
  • Each reportedly contained three small human-shaped occupants around three feet tall, dressed in metallic fabric.
  • The alleged crash was attributed by the source to interference from a powerful government radar installation.

The memorandum does not state that the FBI witnessed these objects, recovered them, photographed them or verified any part of the account. Instead, it simply passes along information received from another source for the Bureau’s records. The final line notes that no further evaluation of the information was attempted.[FBI]fbi.govufos and the guy hottel memoUFOs and the Guy Hottel Memo — FBIMarch 25, 2013…Published: March 25, 2013

FBI vault reveals UFO memo

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Why an authentic document can still contain hearsay

Government agencies routinely preserve reports that later prove inaccurate, incomplete or impossible to verify. Intelligence organisations, police forces and investigative agencies commonly record rumours because even unreliable information may later become relevant if corroborating evidence appears.

The Hottel memorandum fits this pattern. It documents that someone claimed extraordinary events had occurred; it does not document that those events actually occurred.

Several features limit its evidential value:

  • Multiple reporting layers. The information did not come from a direct witness writing to the FBI. Instead, it passed through several individuals before reaching Hottel, increasing the possibility of misunderstanding or embellishment.
  • No supporting evidence. The memo contains no photographs, physical evidence, witness interviews or investigative findings.
  • No follow-up investigation. The FBI later stated that the Bureau never investigated the claim described in the memorandum.
  • No assessment of credibility. The document does not conclude that the report was true or likely to be true; it merely records that it had been received.[FBI]fbi.govufos and the guy hottel memoUFOs and the Guy Hottel Memo — FBIMarch 25, 2013…Published: March 25, 2013

These characteristics make the memo a historical record of a reported story rather than evidence establishing the story itself.

Why it is often linked to Roswell

Many internet articles describe the Hottel memorandum as an “FBI Roswell memo.” That label is misleading because the document never mentions Roswell.

The association developed largely because:

  • the alleged recoveries occurred somewhere in New Mexico;
  • the memo refers to flying saucers and small bodies, themes strongly associated with later Roswell narratives; and
  • the memorandum became widely viewed after appearing in the FBI Vault, prompting media reports that incorrectly treated its publication as newly released proof of the Roswell story.

The FBI has explicitly addressed this misunderstanding. It notes that the memorandum dates from 1950, nearly three years after Roswell, and states there is no reason to assume the document refers to the 1947 incident.[FBI]fbi.govufos and the guy hottel memoUFOs and the Guy Hottel Memo — FBIMarch 25, 2013…Published: March 25, 2013

FBI Memo illustration 2
Explanatory illustration 2

What the FBI itself says about the document

Because the memorandum became one of the most frequently viewed files in the FBI Vault, the Bureau published an explanation clarifying its significance.

According to the FBI:

  • the memorandum is genuine but not newly discovered;
  • it was publicly released decades ago;
  • it contains only a second- or third-hand claim;
  • the Bureau never investigated the report;
  • the memorandum does not prove the existence of UFOs or extraterrestrial craft.

The FBI also notes that some researchers believe the report may have reflected a rumour circulating at the time, although the Bureau states it possesses no information confirming that explanation either. In other words, the FBI neither validates the extraordinary claim nor offers definitive evidence for an alternative origin of the story.[FBI]fbi.govufos and the guy hottel memoUFOs and the Guy Hottel Memo — FBIMarch 25, 2013…Published: March 25, 2013

The FBI's Vault: Case Files Now Online for Roswell, Al Capone, Marilyn Monroe, 9/11 Hijackers

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What evidence would be needed to verify the report

If the memorandum were to establish that recovered extraterrestrial craft existed, it would need independent corroboration. Historians and investigators would normally look for several mutually reinforcing forms of evidence, such as:

  • contemporary military recovery records linked to the same event;
  • identifiable witnesses providing first-hand accounts that can be independently verified;
  • documented chains of custody for any recovered materials;
  • photographs or physical artefacts whose provenance can be established;
  • records from multiple agencies describing the same event independently rather than repeating the same rumour.

The Hottel memorandum supplies none of these elements. Standing alone, it cannot distinguish between an accurate report, a misunderstanding, an embellished story or a rumour circulating within government channels.

FBI Memo illustration 3
Explanatory illustration 3

What the memorandum actually establishes

The Hottel memorandum remains historically interesting because it demonstrates that unusual flying saucer stories reached federal officials during the early years of the UFO phenomenon. It confirms that such reports were recorded within FBI files and preserved in government archives.

It does not establish that:

[fbi]fbi.govufos and the guy hottel memoUFOs and the Guy Hottel Memo — FBIMarch 25, 2013…Published: March 25, 2013 he FBI recovered flying saucers;

  • alien bodies were found in New Mexico;
  • the report referred to Roswell;
  • the FBI concluded the information was accurate;
  • the US government confirmed extraterrestrial technology.

The document’s evidential value therefore lies in what it reveals about information flow inside government agencies—not as proof that the extraordinary events it describes actually occurred. Understanding that distinction is essential when evaluating claims based on authentic historical documents. An authentic memorandum can accurately preserve an unverified claim while providing no independent evidence that the claim itself was true.[FBI]fbi.govufos and the guy hottel memoUFOs and the Guy Hottel Memo — FBIMarch 25, 2013…Published: March 25, 2013

History's Greatest Mysteries: Military Cleanup at Roswell Crash?! (S1, E6) | Full Episode

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Endnotes

1. Source: fbi.gov
Title: ufos and the guy hottel memo
Link:https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/ufos-and-the-guy-hottel-memo

Source snippet

UFOs and the Guy Hottel Memo — FBIMarch 25, 2013...

Published: March 25, 2013

2. Source: fbi.gov
Link:https://www.fbi.gov/image-repository/history/hottel-memo.jpeg/view

Source snippet

Guy Hottel Memo, 1950 — FBI...

3. Source: vault.fbi.gov
Link:https://vault.fbi.gov/

4. Source: vault.fbi.gov
Link:https://vault.fbi.gov/search?SearchableText=Guy+Hottel

5. Source: fbi.gov
Link:https://www.fbi.gov/video-repository/inside-the-fbi-ufos-102921.mp4/view

6. Source: vault.fbi.gov
Link:https://vault.fbi.gov/search?SearchableText=Unexplained+Phenomenon

7. Source: vault.fbi.gov
Link:https://vault.fbi.gov/search?SearchableText=UFOS&b_start%3Aint=0

8. Source: fbi.gov
Link:https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/more-fbi-services-and-information/freedom-of-information-privacy-act/vault

9. Source: vault.fbi.gov
Link:https://vault.fbi.gov/search?SearchableText=Majestic

10. Source: fbi.gov
Link:https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/more-fbi-services-and-information/freedom-of-information-privacy-act/

11. Source: vault.fbi.gov
Link:https://vault.fbi.gov/Roswell%2520UFO

12. Source: theblackvault.com
Title: The “Guy Hottel” Memo and the Crashed Flying Saucers of New Mexico,
Link:https://www.theblackvault.com/documentarchive/the-guy-hottel-memo-and-the-crashed-flying-saucers-of-new-mexico-march-22-1950/

Source snippet

March 22, 1950 - The Black VaultAugust 8, 2022 — THE “GUY HOTTEL” MEMO AND THE CRASHED FLYING SAUCERS OF NEW MEXICO, MARCH 22, 1950 Image...

Published: March 22, 1950

13. Source: abcnews.go.com
Link:https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/fbi-vault-reveals-ufo-roswell-files/story?id=13347754

Additional References

14. Source: washingtonpost.com
Link:https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2013/07/08/roswell-incident-gets-a-google-doodle-and-remembering-the-hottel-memo-hullabaloo/

Source snippet

The Washington PostJuly 8, 2013 — ROSWELL INCIDENT GETS A GOOGLE DOODLE AND REMEMBERING THE ‘HOTTEL MEMO’ HULLABALOO July 8, 2013 More th...

Published: July 8, 2013

15. Source: researchhistory.org
Title: FB I opens online vault, revealing UFO, Roswell files
Link:https://www.researchhistory.org/2011/04/19/fbi-opens-online-vault-revealing-ufo-roswell-files/

Source snippet

FBI opens online vault, revealing UFO, Roswell files - Research HistoryApril 19, 2011 — FBI OPENS ONLINE VAULT, REVEALING UFO, ROSWELL FI...

Published: April 19, 2011

16. Source: standard.net
Title: What did FBI say about Roswell ‘flying saucers IJ’ | News, Sports, Jobs
Link:https://www.standard.net/uncategorized/2013/mar/29/what-did-fbi-say-about-roswell-flying-saucersij/

Source snippet

An FBI report of “flying saucers” in New Mexico sent to then-Director J. Edgar Hoover i...

17. Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdThIO-a_D8

Source snippet

10 Bizarre Things the FBI Has Investigated...

18. Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkUXFB0yWAM

Source snippet

History's Greatest Mysteries: Military Cleanup at Roswell Crash?! (S1, E6) | Full Episode...

19. Source: ghosttheory.com
Title: Moving on now
Link:https://www.ghosttheory.com/2013/03/27/19958

Source snippet

The Hottel Memorandum, FBI and UFOs *UPDATED* – Ghost TheoryMarch 27, 2013 — There is A Lot more of this for anyone interested at the FBI...

Published: March 27, 2013

20. Source: youtube.com
Title: FBI vault reveals UFO memo
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53s8amrBfMs

Source snippet

The FBI's Vault: Case Files Now Online for Roswell, Al Capone, Marilyn Monroe, 9/11 Hijackers...

21. Source: youtube.com
Title: 10 Bizarre Things the FBI Has Investigated
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnRcTMqzJ5w

Source snippet

April Fools 2013: Top 3 Hoaxes in Science...

22. Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TywPwJSosgc

23. Source: csoonline.com
Title: FB I Memo: Proof of Aliens and Roswell Crash? | CSO Online
Link:https://www.csoonline.com/article/546938/fbi-memo-proof-of-aliens-and-roswell-crash.html