In March of 1966, a wave of UFO sightings across southeast Michigan aroused media interest, bringing the perennial issue of the UFO back to popular attention. Controversy arose when the Air Force's scientific consultant concluded that at least some of the sightings were the result of "swamp gas," an explanation summarily rejected by witnesses and other state citizens.
The ensuing public outcry was instrumental in bringing about the Scientific Study of Unidentified Flying Objects, the only academic assessment of the topic completed to date, and the last attempt on the part of the US Air Force to settle the unrelenting mystery of the UFO.