Project 10073 Record Card and Correspondence Regarding Tin Foil Recovery in Maddock, North Dakota

This document file contains a Project 10073 Record Card and associated correspondence regarding a civilian report from Maddock, North Dakota, in the spring of 1960. A local resident reported discovering numerous strips of tin foil scattered across his fields. The witness contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation on August 15, 1960, to inquire about the significance of the material and its origin. The FBI subsequently forwarded this correspondence to the Department of the Air Force. The Air Force Directorate of Special Investigations processed the inquiry, noting that the material was likely chaff dropped by a United States Air Force aircraft. A memorandum dated September 8, 1960, from the Office of the Deputy for Science and Components, confirmed that while the strips could not be positively identified from the initial report, the suspicion remained that they were military chaff. The Air Force requested that the witness send additional samples to the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) for a more definitive analysis. The record card indicates that no photos were taken and no radar contact was made in relation to the incident. The final conclusion recorded on the project card is that the material was likely chaff, though the case remained open to the possibility of further evaluation should the requested physical samples be provided.