The Flatwoods Monster incident began on September 12, 1952, when witnesses saw a fiery object land in West Virginia. A group, including Kathleen May and Eugene Lemon, discovered a 10-foot-tall entity with a spade-shaped head and glowing eyes that hissed and levitated. Witnesses reported physical symptoms like nausea and throat irritation. Explanations range from a misidentified meteor and barn owl to government cover-ups of experimental missiles.