Project 10073 Record Card: Bristol, Rhode Island Sighting, 20 October 1962

On 20 October 1962, two 11-year-old youths in Bristol, Rhode Island, reported observing a gray object falling from the sky near the Warren River, accompanied by a 'whooshing' sound. The youths claimed the object was warm when touched. They brought the material to their science teacher, Mr. Souza, who subsequently involved authorities at the U.S. Naval Base in Newport. The material was then transferred to the Air Force for technical analysis. Investigations by military personnel, including Major Poillon and CDR Runyon, involved collecting the samples and interviewing the youths. The physical samples were described as a mass of plastic, including Type 66 Nylon, polystyrene, and polyethylene, appearing in the form of a ball with 'tailings' or 'end-of-run' material typical of industrial extrusion machines used for manufacturing insulated wire and cable. Laboratory tests confirmed that the materials were common industrial plastics and showed no evidence of exposure to a space environment or use in space applications. The official conclusion reached by the Air Force was that the incident was a hoax, and the materials were identified as discarded industrial plastic scrap from local manufacturing.