Maury Island incident

Artist impression of the Maury Island UFO incident

The Maury Island incident refers to claims made by Fred Crisman and Harold Dahl of falling debris and threats by men in black following sightings of unidentified flying objects in the sky over Maury Island, Washington, United States. The pair claimed that the events had occurred on June 21, 1947. The incident is widely regarded as a hoax, even by believers of flying saucers and UFOs.[1][2]

On August 1, two Air Force officers tasked with investigating the incident were killed when their plane crashed outside of Kelso, Washington. Project Blue Book chief Edward J. Ruppelt characterized the story as "the dirtiest hoax in the UFO history."

The Maury Island incident has inspired an eponymous film, artwork, and local celebrations in Des Moines, Washington. In 2017, the Washington State Senate acknowledged the 70th anniversary of the event.[3]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference ComingOf was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference ruppelt was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Goodman, Hunter G. "SENATE RESOLUTION 8648" (PDF). lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov. Washington State Senate. p. 2. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State Senate pause to acknowledge the seventieth anniversary of the June 21, 1947, Maury Island Incident