Air Intelligence Information Report: UFOB — Martinsdale, Montana, 1956

This document is an Air Intelligence Information Report (1B-UFOB-2-56) concerning a reported UFO fragment in Martinsdale, Montana, in late 1956. The investigation was initiated after an individual sent personal letters to the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) and the U.S. Air Force claiming to have discovered a piece of a space ship containing a self-contained power unit activated by an unknown mineral. The report details the investigative efforts of 2Lt Robert T. Caughey of the 4602d AISS, who interviewed local residents in Martinsdale. The primary witnesses, including a post office employee and a hotel co-proprietor, described the object as a dull black-gray volcanic rock, approximately 10 inches long and elliptical in shape. The investigation revealed that the individual who claimed to have found the object had departed the area and was unavailable for contact. Supplementary checks with the U.S. Geological Survey and local weather detachments confirmed that volcanic rock fragments are common in the Martinsdale area and that airborne weather equipment components are frequently found by local residents. The final assessment by the investigating officer and the approving commander, Colonel John W. Meador, concluded that the object was a misidentification of a common volcanic rock. The report notes that the individual who claimed to have found the object was likely susceptible to suggestion and that the entire incident was a result of a misconception rather than a deliberate hoax.