UFO solved as USAF chaff in 1961

Summary

In June 1961, a resident of Mount Zion, West Virginia, found a pile of thin metallic silver slivers in a wooded area. These objects, along with similar ones found in 1957, were analyzed by the Aerospace Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC). The slivers, about 2.5 inches long, were neatly stacked, raising questions about their origin.

The official response was clear: the slivers were chaff, a material used by the U.S. Air Force to jam radar systems. Chaff is released from aircraft in large quantities and can fall to the ground hours after being dropped from high altitudes. In this case, the slivers had fallen in clusters due to the way they were dispersed. The technical explanation turned a mystery into a well-known military phenomenon.