Incident #162 — Hamel, Minnesota, 11 August 1948

This document archive details the investigation into 'Incident 162,' a reported sighting of an Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon (UAP) in Hamel, Minnesota, on August 11, 1948. Two children, aged eight and ten, reported observing a small, round, dull gray object, approximately two feet in diameter and one foot thick, which they described as resembling two inverted plates. According to the children, the object descended, landed on the ground, emitted a clanking sound, and then produced a whistling noise similar to a steam whistle. It subsequently maneuvered around trees and telephone wires before ascending to a height of thirty feet and departing rapidly in a northeasterly direction. The report was initially brought to the attention of the local postmaster, E. R. Sheridan, who notified the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The FBI referred the matter to the military, specifically the 113th CIC Detachment and the Air Materiel Command under Project SIGN. Military investigators visited the site and noted a depression in the ground, which had been covered by a washtub and leveled, potentially by the local residents. Soil samples were collected from the depression and sent to the FBI Laboratory for analysis to determine if there were traces of unusual elements, alloys, or evidence of extreme heat or radioactivity. The FBI Laboratory report, dated October 7, 1948, concluded that the sample consisted of ordinary pebbles, sand, and dirt, with no abnormalities or evidence of metallic contact. Despite the collection of physical evidence and photographic documentation, the Air Force's internal assessment of the incident was dismissive, with one official note stating, 'This apparent bit of fantasy is hardly worth further consideration.' The correspondence between the Air Force, the FBI, and the Chemical Corps highlights the inter-agency coordination involved in the early stages of Project SIGN, as well as the skepticism with which such reports were treated by military intelligence. The file includes various administrative memos, requests for soil analysis, and the final laboratory findings, ultimately concluding that the incident lacked sufficient evidence to warrant further investigation.