PROJECT BLUE BOOK

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%. OAYE : ; 2. LOCATION 12, CONCLUSIONS
ye MO Was Balloon
1 Jun 64 Paduca Kentuck O Pr obably Balloon
fet = + ee ee ees a » ie ps a = a tones - ¥ P uo ‘ 3 |
a. DATE-TihME GROUP 4. TYPE OF rs BSERVATION , O55) bly Balloon
j " . y Aiver
Ta E S| heel ST eA IRIGR RAC 2c ene ar SPE icc era oe 2} Ground- Visual 0 Ground-Radar 2 Was PIECE aft
; Cl Probably Aircraft
" / 2 r OO wathlu Airer
GMT OES A ee 0 Air Visual O Aic-Intere opt R odar Oo Possibly Aircraft
| \ PHOTOS 16. SOURCE 10 Was Astronomical }
O Yesrnys Spec |\QO Probably Astronomical
Na | eivilian (0 Possibly Astronomical
3. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION | 3. NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9. COURSE PH OtherrLlastics Container
| O Insufticient Data for Evaluation
| - ‘(1 Unknown
n/a | one found on ground |
10. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING 11. COMMENTS
Odject sent to PWS for analysis. Obj was
Object found in yard. melted bottle or container composed of
plastic which had collansed unon itself
due to heat. Had contain
]

and was wrapped in bur c
time. No indication as toh

in yard. Impossible for s
; space residence due to its composition.
Slight radioactivity considered normal

beet

1
Ow ob} arrived
Ciment o have

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ATiC FPORM 329 (REV 25 SEP §2)

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wicroscopic examination. This preparation when vicred by transmitted

ilivaination was found to consist of sand-grains covered with a carbonized

The greenish cb ject was sawed in half and the cross section
Appeared to be made up entirely of green polystyrene except for a few
bisck carbonized streaks which appeared to be the same as the caxdonized
maverial on the outer portion. No cloth was apparent within the cross

section.
Tnfrared S se8

A chloroform extract was cotained from the dirt for infrared
sosorption analysis. The black extract was found to contain e long-chain
alinnatic hydrocarbon pius some aromatics. More aromatic absorption was
Yound in this extract than normally occurs in most motor fuels. ‘The
spectrum appeared more iikely to be that of a fuel oll.

be greenish-apvearing material, which made up most of the
oo ject, was analyzed by infrared absorption techniques and found to be
polystyrene.

Black material scraped from the surface of the object waa found
to be sand plus clay plus hydrocarbon (probably the same as found in the
surrounding earth) by infrared enalysis. |

Analyses of fibers from the object by infrared absorption methceds
gave mainly ebsorption bands for S10, (propably from the sand) olus traces
of polystyrene and traces of hydrocarbon. The woven fibers gave other bands

which appear in the rischt wavelength region to be caused probably by cellntose.

sii

Raission Spectrogracaic Analyses

The data for qualitative emission spectrographaic analyses of
waricus portions of the unidentified object and surrounding earth are

iven in Table I. The portions analyzed ere identified as follows:

(1) Earth from jar

(2) Chloroform extract of earth from jar

(3) Sandy material from object

(4%) Chainelink cloth from object

(5) Straight fiber from object

(6) Green plastic from outside surface of objects

(7) Green plastic material from inside surface of
object (sectioned surface)

(S) Sample from black streak on sectioned surface.

An indication of the relative amount of each element present
in the samples is given by H, M, L T, or -- standing for hign, mediun,
low, trace, or nome found, respectively. The results must be tempered
from sample to sample because of differences in sample welghts. The
sanples of earth and plastic were large being of the order of 1 to 10
miliicraas whereas the other samples were small being of the order of
fractions of a milligram. No unusual amounts nor contents of elements
were found for the samples analyzed -- j.e., the findings were in accord
with that of a sand-encrusted Diastic cbjJect and sandy earth saturated

th ofl. No indication of the cause of the green color in the plastic

a i i i i i i

-8-

was found either by emission spectrographic or by infrared absorvtion
acalyses. Small anounts of green dye are ccumonly added to plastics
for coloring and would not be detected ordinarily by infrared techniques

aS tsese low concentrations.

Radloactivity Check

A check for radioactivity of the sample, measured with a
survey meter, showed little if any radiation sbove the normal background

level.

coNclustons

Based on the above described examinations and data our conclusions
ere that the sample is a plece of green-colored polystyrene plastic of the
inexpensive type commonly used for toys, tile, etc. Since (1) polystyrene

jects are not commonly reinforced with cloth, (2) the charred cloth
waa apparent only on one side of-the coject, (3) the odor and infrared
data on the surrounding earth indicate that it was probably saturated with
fuel oil, and (4) the plastic was apparently hot enough to have been molten,
it is believed likely that this is merely a plastic odject which has been
covered with a cotton cloth saturated with fuel oil and burned at a hign
encush temperature to cause the plastic to passe oAlbeni It is not likely
that the object entered from outside the etmospohere since the melting point
of polystyrene is low and the object would very likely have burned completely

upon entering the earth’s atmosphere.

seen acme ——

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FOREIGN TECHNOLOGY DIVISION, AFSC UNCLASSIFIED

Magnification 184x

Fig. 3 Cotton Fibers From a Thread of the Cloth

UNCLASSIFILD

FOREIGN TECHNOLOGY DIVISION ATSC UNCLASSIFIED

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Magnification 65x
Fige 2 A Photamicrograph of Three Links Removed
¥ron the Fragile Cloth.

UNCLASSIFIED

IDEW

‘nalysis of Physical Specimen 6 August 1964

SSa% Richard 4A. Maner

Paducah Air Force Recruiting Office 214-11
oem Mel2

“oat Office Building
-aducan, Xentucky

’

l. The object «hich Mrs Om cored over to yo on
Monday, | June, has deen analyzed by our office. A copy or this report
is attached. You aay inform Mrs. Qiememer the results of our
Tindings and also notify the news media at Paducah, which expressed
interest in this object. Mo portion of the sample is being returned
Since the object itselr was consumed in the analysis. Essentially the

results of the analysis are carried on page 3 of the Attachment 1.

re
The object was a plastic container of some sort which had been covered
vita a cotton clota saturated with fuel oil and burned at a tenmpera-
ture sufficient to cause the plastic to become molten. jhile we are

25le to identify the ocodject, we offer no exlanation as to why the

ooject was in her backyard.

due, you sre

2. thi le this varticular ob fect did not have a space resi
pe. ev
Yorce did

to de commended for your action in insuring that the Air
cotain an object of potential scientific value.

FOR THS COMMANDER

-

ERIC T. de JONCKXZSERE 1 Atch
Colonel, USAF Analysis Report (2 Cys)

Deraty for Technology and Subsystems

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Se ee ae ee tee ms a ee ES ee ee ITT. i te ee eee os
HEADQUARTERS Ciera
FOREIGN TECHNOLOGY DIVISION ."
AIR FORCE SYSTEMS COMMAND | Aen
UNITED STATES AIR FORCE in! Saitae A
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, ON!0 ah NASER | IS
REPLY TO a: eS
aren of: TDEWP/F. Jacocks . alin?
Sussect: Transmittal of Report 24 July 1964
ros =6TDSY (Capt Quintanilla)
1. Reference is made to the plastic sample supplied by TDEW to
TOSWP with request for examination and analysis on or about
25 Juns 1954.
2, PYS has completed the requested examination and has submitted
4 2 report of tha complete findings.
3. Subject report is herewith transmitted for ratention by your
office. —
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, of “£2 . ; ,
| A-edd Mtene-yg5
mao% MARK I. KNAPP Dover uc
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‘ Ohief, c
Producibility Division
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EXAMINALION OF SAMPLES

The greenish object and the samples of earth and grass which
surrounded it were exanined microscopically and anlyzed by emission
spectrographic and infrared absorption methods. The data for these nnalyses
and observations are given in this report. The objects and the results
heve deen discussed with plastic and petroleum specialists and our
Gaservations and conclusions are included in the iagtter part of this

FreDorec.

7

EXPERIMENTAL

Mieroscoovic and Visual Exaninations

Examinations of the greenish object visually and microscopically
revesled that probably it had been charred and distorted by having been
heated to a molten state. Qne side was covered with sand and plant debris;
the latter appeared to be mostly grasa roots. This side also displayed
some partly exposed embedded cloth. The other side was primarily greenisnh-
plastic in appearance. Emphasis, in the microscopical exanination, vas
placed on the identification of the charred eloth, since this appeared to
be an unusual finding. It was found to be a cotton cloth having a chain-
link type knit. Photemicrographs were taken of: (1) the cloth in the
plastic; (2) three links of the knit removed from the cloth embedded in
the plastic; and (3) fibers from a thread of the cloth. These are inaluded
as Fissres 1, 2, and 3, respectively.

A specimem of the dirt, collected from the reported S-inch
diameter area encompassing the greenish-object, was embedded in epoxy and

®& thin-section was prepared by mineralogical polishing techniques for

Magnification LOX

Fige 1 <A Photomicrograph of the Cloth
in the Plastic.

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tw

Magnification 65x

Yige 2 A Photomicrograoh of Three Links Removed
Yrom the Fragile Cloth.

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Magnification 194X

Fige 3 Cotton Fibers From a Thread of the Cloth

(PMc vice MIA Ole hee) io