Maury Island Incident — Slag and Wreckage 1947

On June 21, 1947 — three days before Kenneth Arnold's Mount Rainier sighting that began the modern UFO era — harbor patrolman Harold Dahl was on patrol in Puget Sound near Maury Island when he and his crew reported observing six large doughnut-shaped metallic craft, one of which appeared to be in distress and was being circled by the others. The distressed craft jettisoned what appeared to be hot metal slag that rained down onto Dahl's patrol boat, injuring his teenage son and killing his dog. Dahl recovered samples of the material. He reported the incident to his supervisor, Fred Crisman. After Arnold's Mount Rainier sighting gained national attention, Arnold was contacted about the Maury Island case. Two US Army Air Force intelligence officers, Captain William Davidson and Lieutenant Frank Brown, were sent from Hamilton Field, California to investigate. After collecting witness statements and physical samples, Davidson and Brown departed in a B-25 that crashed shortly after takeoff, killing both officers. The cause of the crash was attributed to an engine fire. The FBI investigated the case and was critical of the credibility of the witnesses. The material recovered was analyzed as ordinary slag from a smelter. The coincidental deaths of the two investigating officers, the proximity to the Arnold sighting, and the early FBI involvement made Maury Island one of the most controversial and scrutinized early UAP cases.