Rhode Island 1962 plastic UFO

Summary

In October 1962, two 11-year-old boys in Bristol, Rhode Island, claimed to have seen a gray object falling from the sky with a whooshing sound. The object landed in the sand near them, and one of the boys touched it, noting that it was warm. Their science teacher collected a sample and sent it to the Air Force for analysis. The results showed the material was common plastic—specifically Nylon 66, polystyrene, and polyethylene—typical of local industry. Despite unusual descriptions, investigators concluded it was scrap from extrusion machines, not an extraterrestrial object.

The investigation included multiple reports and analyses by military and civilian authorities. The material was compared to local industrial waste and found to match plastic scraps from manufacturing. Although there was initial speculation about its origin, tests ruled out any connection to space applications or exotic materials. The case was classified as a hoax or a coincidence, and the material was considered ordinary industrial waste. Despite official dismissal, the story remains a curious example of how the mundane can appear mysterious under certain circumstances.