Tulsa, OklahomaJanuary 1958

In January 1958, a man in Tulsa, Oklahoma found a small metallic object in a field about ten miles northeast of the city. He thought it might be a missile nose cone and reported it to the Air Force.

The object was roughly thirteen inches long and four inches wide, weighing about six pounds. It had a metallic exterior with what appeared to be a rubber core and an insulated wire protruding from the base. Because of his work in the aerospace industry, the finder believed the object resembled a Jupiter missile nose cone. He contacted the Air Technical Intelligence Center at Wright Patterson Air Force Base with his discovery.

The Air Force took the object seriously. They X rayed it and sent it for detailed analysis. A team of specialists examined its construction, including the internal metal tube and electrical connections to a metallic plug inside. After thorough investigation, the Air Force concluded the object was not a missile nose cone at all. Instead, they determined it was a sacrificial electrode made of magnesium alloy. These anodes (devices that corrode instead of the pipes they protect) are routinely buried underground in soil to prevent corrosion of pipelines used in oil operations. The tube and wiring visible inside were standard features of such corrosion prevention equipment, consistent with specifications commonly used by the petroleum industry.

The investigation file indicates the finder was eventually informed of the object's true identity. When asked if he wanted it returned, he stated he had no interest in recovering it unless it proved to be something unusual with intelligence significance. He signed a release giving the Air Force full custody of the item.

The full case file, comprising 39 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.