GG-2026-134
Falkville Metal Man
- Phenomenon UFOs/UAPs, Folklore & Cultural Encounters
- Documentation
Rating B
- A — Strong dossier: several independent sources plus primary evidence (original media, records, measurements) a researcher could use without interviewing anyone.
- B — Well documented: multiple independent witnesses with at least some contemporary primary material, or one witness with substantial primary corroboration (photos, recordings, contemporaneous notes, documents).
- C — Multi-source but soft: several witnesses or a long run of reports, but mostly testimony and after-the-fact secondary sources (newspapers, folklore collections, later interviews). Little or no primary physical evidence. Regional legend clusters such as the Bridgewater Triangle land here.
- D — Thin: single witness (or one household), little or no support beyond the account. Normal for a sincere personal experience.
- E — Incomplete or not yet assessed. Every new submission starts here until staff have read it.
- Evidence & media 2 items
- Status Historic
- Location Falkville, Morgan County, Alabama · approximate placement
- Occurred 17 October 1973
This case is associated with private or restricted property. Do not trespass, disturb residents, remove artifacts, or conduct an investigation without explicit permission.
Activity period
- Earliest claimed event 17 October 1973
- Earliest documented report 18 October 1973
- Latest documented report November 1973
- Pattern Single event
Summary
The Falkville Metal Man is a reported humanoid encounter that occurred near Falkville, Alabama, on October 17, 1973. Falkville police chief Jeff Greenhaw claimed that while investigating a report of a possible UFO landing, he encountered and photographed a human-shaped figure covered in a reflective metallic-looking material. Greenhaw obtained four Polaroid photographs of the figure before it fled the area. The case became one of the most widely discussed humanoid encounter reports of the 1973 U.S. UFO wave. While the photographs and newspaper coverage are well documented, the identity of the figure remains disputed, with explanations ranging from a prank involving reflective clothing to an unexplained encounter.
Background
On the evening of October 17, 1973, Falkville police chief Jeff Greenhaw received a report that a UFO had allegedly landed in a field outside town. Taking a Polaroid camera with him, Greenhaw responded to investigate. While he found no landed craft, he later reported encountering a human-shaped figure standing along a rural road.
According to Greenhaw, the figure appeared slightly over six feet tall and was covered in a highly reflective material. He described the appearance as resembling polished metal and stated that the figure moved in an unusual, stiff manner. Greenhaw took four Polaroid photographs during the encounter. These images became the primary evidence associated with the case.
Greenhaw reported attempting to communicate with the figure before it moved away. He then followed it in his patrol vehicle, later claiming that its speed exceeded what he would expect from a person running on foot. The figure eventually disappeared into the darkness and was not located. No physical traces, landing marks, or independently verified evidence were recovered from the area.
The incident received immediate newspaper attention throughout Alabama and was discussed within UFO research circles during the broader 1973 UFO flap that also included cases such as the Pascagoula encounter. The photographs were reproduced in newspapers and later in UFO publications.
Witness statement
No statement on file.
Investigation timeline
- 2026-10-30 — Historical file submitted.
- 2026-10-30 — Research question opened: Are original newspaper negatives or first-generation reproductions of the four Polaroids still preserved in any archive?
- 2026-10-30 — Research question opened: Is there verifiable documentation supporting later claims that an individual confessed to staging the encounter?
- 2026-10-30 — Research question opened: Can the original dispatch call that sent Jeff Greenhaw to the scene be independently verified through surviving records?
- 2026-10-30 — Historical file accepted and published.
Research notes
No curated research notes.
Open research questions
A specific gap in the file. An accepted source, research note, or further-reading link closes it.
Are original newspaper negatives or first-generation reproductions of the four Polaroids still preserved in any archive?
Is there verifiable documentation supporting later claims that an individual confessed to staging the encounter?
Can the original dispatch call that sent Jeff Greenhaw to the scene be independently verified through surviving records?
Propose evidence & media, a source citation, further reading, a research note, a correction, a related case, or a series link. Staff review before anything is added. An accepted correction does not replace the file by itself.