Nuclear Site Incidents

On March 16, 1967, at 0845 hours, all launch facilities at Echo Flight, Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana, went offline with no-go indications. The missiles were brought back online within a day after maintenance crews were dispatched. The incident has since become a focal point in debates about UAP activity at nuclear weapons sites, though accounts of what happened differ sharply.

What happened at Malmstrom that day?

According to Robert Salas, a 26-year-old Air Force lieutenant assigned to the underground capsule at the complex, a security guard on the surface contacted him to report flying objects in the distance performing strange maneuvers. Guards later reported seeing a glowing red object hovering above the front gate. According to Salas, minutes after these reports, the complex's ten Minuteman nuclear missiles went offline.

What did the Air Force investigation conclude?

An Air Force report stated that "Rumors of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFO) around the area of Echo Flight during the time of the fault were disproven." Mobile strike teams questioned on March 16, 1967, stated that "no unusual activity or sightings were observed." A 2025 Pentagon report revealed the incident had been caused by a classified test of an electromagnetic pulse device.

Do Salas's accounts match the official record?

According to skeptical investigator Brian Dunning, Salas's memories differ from records of the 341st Strategic Missile Wing. Dunning reported that the missiles were restarted following a commonplace commercial power failure on March 16, and that UFO reports to newspapers from a town 50 kilometers away occurred eight days later, not during the incident itself.

Why did this incident gain attention decades later?

In August 1996, the Great Falls Tribune published an article about Salas and his account of a UAP report connected to the Echo Flight malfunction. In February 2023, Salas testified before the Pentagon's AARO (All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office), marking the first time he officially went on record with an authoritative branch of the Department of Defense regarding the 1967 incident.

Is Malmstrom part of a broader pattern?

Author Robert Hastings has spoken to 167 veterans regarding more than a hundred UFO incursions at nuclear weapons sites during the Cold War era and beyond, suggesting that Malmstrom is one incident among many reported at such facilities.