UFO Report — Crownsville, Maryland, 13 November 1957

This document collection details an incident occurring on 13 November 1957 at the State Hospital in Crownsville, Maryland. Witnesses, including the hospital's Chief of Police and an employee, reported seeing a pink, parachute-like object, approximately 4 by 6 feet in size, descending from an altitude of 500 to 2000 feet. The object was accompanied by a popping sound and appeared to disintegrate as it drifted downward over a period of 5 to 10 minutes. Upon reaching the ground, the object had reportedly shrunk to the size of a piece of cigarette paper. Military personnel from the 549th Ordnance Detachment and the 109th Counter Intelligence Corps Group were dispatched to the scene to investigate. They monitored the area for radioactivity, finding none, and collected small remnants of the object. These samples were initially turned over to the Second United States Army and subsequently forwarded to the Air Research and Development Command. However, a significant administrative complication arose: the physical specimens, which were intended for analysis at the Air Technical Intelligence Center at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, disappeared while in transit. Consequently, the Air Technical Intelligence Center was unable to conduct a formal laboratory examination. Official correspondence between various military commands, including the Air Defense Command and the Office of Special Investigations, reflects the frustration regarding the missing evidence. The final assessment provided by the Air Technical Intelligence Center suggests that the object was likely an accidentally released parachute flare, though this remains a presumption due to the lack of physical evidence. The file concludes with a memorandum from the 4th District Office of Special Investigations confirming that no further action would be taken regarding the matter.