At local science gathering, a different approach to the extraterrestrial question At local science gathering, a different approach to the extraterrestrial question (July 12, 2002)@12subhead:Info on UAP (not UFOs) MIA due to reporting bias, says scientist

By Ali Fard

Richard Haines, chief scientist at the National Aviation Reporting Center on Anomalous Phenomena (or NARCAP), spoke last week to a group of about 20 Mountain View residents at the Golden Wok.

The event, hosted by Mountain View's Technology and Society Committee -- which offers a bi-weekly luncheon series on a variety of scientific topics -- brought out believers and skeptics on the topic of unidentified flying objects -- or Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP), in NARCAP's terminology.

"We don't dare say UFO," Haines said. "If we do, the doors slam shut and we don't have contact with the aviation world -- and that's our business."

Haines worked in NASA Ames's aeronautical program for 30 years, and discussed numerous accounts of UAP during the last century.

Many of the reports he discussed had to do with bright colored lights or objects coming toward aircrafts without being traced on radar or identified.

One report from the FAA in December 1998 detailed how a Canadian Airlines plane almost had a mid-air collision with an object emitting three vertical colored lights. NARCAP is skeptical of analysts who had alleged it was from a Cessna plane that had caused it from a far off distance.

Some of the reports he presented also showed sketches of saucer-shaped flying objects many people identify with.

"Call them an aircraft because you don't get into any trouble that way," Haines said.

NARCAP Executive Director Ted Roe said the purpose of the organization -- which is based in Boulder Creek and has applied for nonprofit status -- is to identify the reports, analyze the data and increase knowledge of such events. In doing so, Roe said the organization hopes to increase air safety.

NARCAP scientists estimate that they receive about two major UAP events each year.

Haines said the duration of sightings ranges from 5 seconds to 180 minutes -- as reported in an incident in South America.

"The phenomena at this time does not represent a physical threat," Haines said. "The UAP gets out of the way of the airplane before a collision occurs."

Throughout the lecture, there was hardly any mention of the extraterrestrials, abductions or probings that people associate with aerial paranormal events.

"I'm a scientist and I like to see the data myself," Haines said. "If we knew the answer, we wouldn't be here. We think we can take the quality of data and give it to the scientific community."

Roe also discussed stereotypes of people interested in UAP, and how pilots are afraid of reporting their incidents for fear of various emotional consequences. He also mentioned how protective the military and the FAA is with their information and the work of other private and public institutions.

"There is just a plain reporting bias (against us) and we have to face it," Roe said.

The Technology and Society Committee will meet again next one will be on the future of California's high-speed rail services.
E-mail Ali Fard at Intern@mv-voice.com