Chorpus Christi, TexasOctober 1962

Insufficient Data

Summary

On October 26, 1962, a farmer in Corpus Christi, Texas reported that a piece of translucent material had fallen from the sky and struck his plow. He kept the material and reported the incident, and the Air Force took possession of the fragment for analysis.

The piece was forwarded to the Aeronautical Systems Division at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. Experts there ran a series of tests to determine what it was. They tested it for radioactivity, light transmission, chemical composition, and optical properties. The sample showed no radioactivity above normal background levels. Chemically, it was made of common glass materials, primarily silicon dioxide and calcium oxide with smaller amounts of sodium and other elements.

The lab concluded the material was bottle glass, specifically a low-quality type used in large containers. Technicians found evidence of a sheared gob, a manufacturing technique indicating the glass was made by machine. The Owens-Illinois Glass Company, which examined the sample, determined it likely came from a large carboy or wide-mouth jar, between 5 and 6.5 gallons in capacity. The company believed its Alton, Illinois plant was probably where this particular glass was manufactured.

The Air Force recorded this case as "unknown," though the physical evidence clearly pointed to ordinary bottle glass that had fallen from the sky, most likely having been ejected from an aircraft or dropped from high altitude. The complete case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives, comprising 8 pages.

Reported location

Chorpus Christi, Texas

Date of incident

October 1962

State / country

TX / US

Page count

8 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unknown

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 47

3 x g ¢ i 7 Je LR PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD Be E 1. DATE 2. LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS A] 0 Was Bolloon 3 26 October 1962 Chorpus Christi Texas O Probobly Balloon ~ | 3. DATE-TIME GROUP 4. TYPE OF OBSERVATION nl th Al i 2 Is 8 0 Wos Aircraft 4 A ROY St ms A860 0) 1) EES Sa Ne DA [2 Ground- Visual DO Ground-Rodar 0 Probably Aircraft I CMY 26/20007 O Air Visual 0 Air-Intercept Radar O Possibly Aircraft I 5. PHOTOS ; 6. SOURCE O Was Astronomicol OYes Physical O Probably Astronomical A 3 Tro D ibl i 3 B:No Specimen Civilian Possibly Astronomical | 7. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION 8. NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9. COURSE ¥XOther_ glass ~~ E O Insufficient Data for Evaluation 4 not reported one falling O Unknown © [10. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING 11. COMMENTS i | 4 Piece of translucent material reporte: Analysis showed material to be ; to have fallen from sky striking bottle glass from large bottle. 1 plow of farmer, Material forwarded Pattern on glass indicated to ASD for analysis, manufactured by Illinois Owens | glass company. E bP | Porro OF pdieer 1S Secihén Hie ] ATIC FORM 329 (REV 26 SEP 52) ; / | : ‘. } “