The Claim
In September 1952, a group of boys and adults in Flatwoods, West Virginia chased a fireball they'd seen fall from the sky, only to encounter a towering, metallic-looking figure with a spade-shaped head that reportedly hissed and glided toward them, emitting a foul, irritating odor before the group fled.
The Evidence
- Multiple witnesses, including adults, corroborating the same basic account.
- Reported physical after-effects: nausea and throat irritation consistent with witness accounts of a strong odor.
- A widely circulated illustration based on witness sketches that became instantly iconic.
The Official Story
Investigators generally attribute the sighting to a barn owl perched in a tree, whose face can appear startlingly humanoid when lit from below by flashlight, combined with a genuine meteor sighting that night and a nearby patch of irritating plants or fumes that could explain the reported nausea. Fear and darkness likely did the rest.
File Notes
The Flatwoods Monster has become something of a mascot for West Virginia cryptid tourism, appearing on murals and merchandise right alongside its more famous state-mate, the Mothman.