Mount Zion, West VirginiaJune 1961

Insufficient Data

Summary

On June 9, 1961, metallic material was recovered from an area near Mount Zion, in Wood County, West Virginia. A resident found the slivers near his home and forwarded samples to the Air Force. The witness reported finding similar material at the same location in earlier years.

The Air Force analyzed the samples. They were definitely identified as chaff made and used by the United States. Chaff is material dropped by aircraft to jam radars by filling the radar scope with returns. It is released in bundles that open so the pieces disperse, and it is designed to fall very slowly.

The Air Force explained that the chaff may have been dropped many miles away and drifted into the area while falling from a high altitude. The differences in length came from chaff designed for radars of different frequencies. The case was identified as chaff from a United States source.

Reported location

Mount Zion, West Virginia

Date of incident

June 1961

State / country

WV / US

Page count

5 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unknown

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 42

Original case file scans

Original case file · scanned by NARAPage 1 of 5

View transcribed text

2

; BERNER on, PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD

f [1 date 2. LOCATION [12. CONCLUSIONS
§ : ; » : 0 VYos Balloon

¥ un © Mouav Ml, L Virgin OO Probobly Bolloon

i 3. DATE-TIME GROUP 3 ¥ 4. TYPE OF OB3ERYATION naw. TONY. SEA

i & . 2 0 Woes Alhverafr

i Local I” RH 5 0 Ground-Visual 3 Cround-Radar 0 Probably Aircraft |

2 + bpd

i a HR NR ar SAI a 0 AirVisval 0 Air-lntercept Rador 0 Possibly Aireralr

f 5. PHOTOS Eo | & 50URCE REE, Ta bey Wes Astronomics

J C Yes Clg 4 0 Probobly Astronomical

4 0 Na we imer ivilian 3 Poszaibly Astronomi=oal
g 7. LENGYN OF O8SERYATION "| 8. NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9. COURSE TE BE ERE in ]
f | O Insufficient Dota for Evaluation
J x 0 Unknown

4 10. BRIEE SUMMARY OF SIGHTING 1). COMMENTS
E Objects re vered ‘rom we 1 area in Vest amples of material definitely identi-
E Virginia. Found on 9 Jun 61. Objec along fied as chaff from US source,
1 $e . - : n . : $ fan 5 ; $4 1 554 Sur j n po

ATIC FORM 129 (REV 25 SEP 52)

/ 5

Use ← → keys to navigate · scans hosted by the U.S. National Archives

Source: National Archives Catalog · NAID 28992990