To the new Field Investigator, the classification system for MUFON case files might seem a little bit tricky at first. Some categories seem to get mixed up from time to time, so hopefully this little review will help clear this up.
For a while there drones were being classified as 'Unknown - UAV'. It is obvious that there are just too many drones available these days to be able to look at one in the sky and know who makes it, and what model it is.
Many young people have remote control helicopters and drones, with spectacular lighting on them, and of course they are awfully cool to fly. It's not their fault that someone watching the sky can't identify what is up there and thinks it is a UFO.
Not long ago I closed out a case that I knew for sure was a drone, and it made me very uncomfortable to have to class it as an 'Unknown' of any flavor, so I contacted Fletcher Gray with my concerns. He agreed with me that drones do not belong in the 'Unknown' category, so officially they now go in the category IFO - Man Made. Don't worry about having to identify what kind of drone it is, if you feel confident that is what was seen, then that is good enough.
Another big problem we have with the classifications of cases are the obvious psychological cases. I don't mean the cases where there were psychological effects from interacting with craft or aliens, I mean the cases that come in from serial filers with obvious mental issues. It is a sad fact that this happens more than we would like. Unfortunately there are many reports that come in from people who are suffering from varying types of mental illness, and they truly do believe that they are seeing something remarkable. Automatically closing these cases out as hoaxes is not a correct solution. By definition they are not hoaxes. The people might be delusional, but they are not consciously lying. The best disposition for these types of cases is to close them out as 'Information Only'. This way at least you won't antagonize a possibly unstable witness, and they won't be hurt by the flat out lack of credibility associated with closing the case as a hoax.
It is my belief that we need to establish a category that reflects sensitivity to cases, yet at the same time sets them apart from the other categories. Maybe something like 'Imagined Event'? It is my understanding that 'Information Only' is to be used for cases that are secondhand retellings of events that did not happen to the party reporting them, or for something that someone came across through some other form of literature.
Of course the most misunderstood category is the 'Unknown' category. I tell all my Field Investigator's that if they only have talked to one witness, and they don't have any other evidence, they do not have a good case for making it a UFO, or 'Unknown'. Unknown should only be used when you are absolutely certain that you have something that can not be identified that you are investigating. Do not, I mean...DO NOT use it if all you have is a gut feeling! MUFON is the world's leading scientific investigator of UFOs, not the Fantasy Network. That means we have to back up our investigation with evidence that can stand the tests of science, otherwise we just don't have the proof that we need.
Insufficient Data is a proper category if you think something might be an unknown, but just don't have the level of proof required to make it an 'Unknown'.
In reviewing Project Blue Book Special Report #14, it is apparent that many of the sightings in it could have been 'Unknowns', if only there were more information that could be verified. Disregard that fact that the Air Force got their numbers wrong and incorrectly stated that there were only 3% that were 'Unknowns' in the report...apparently they have trouble with classifications AND math! If you add their 'Insufficient Data' cases to their 'Unknown' cases, the number was closer to 30%. I would tend to think of Insufficient Data as being more closely related to 'Unknown', than to 'Information Only', and in fact over time more information might come to light in such a case, and the disposition would then be able to be changed to 'Unknown'.
In any case, if you just can't decide what category to class your case when you are closing it out, don't be afraid to call your State Section Director or State Director to get some help with how to classify it. Together we can make CMS stronger in this way.
I hope this issue helps answer a few questions about classifying your cases. Be sure to share with all of your friends, and come back next week for more!
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