Object falls from the sky, narrowly missing man

(6/02/06 - KTRK/PORTER, TX) (KTRK) -- We've all heard tales about the sky falling. And usually, we're talking about the weather. But one man from Porter has a different story to tell.

Terry Vasseur still isn't sure what fell from the sky or where it came from. He does know one thing -- he's lucky to have escaped injury.

"I had just bent like this and this thing came like this and hit the end of my cap and stuck in my ground," he told us.

Terry was in his garden last Friday when an unidentified object fell from the sky and landed next to his tomato plants.

"See where the cap is cut right there," he showed us. "Seems like the sharp edge hit the beak like this and went straight down in the ground."

Terry lives not far from Bush Intercontinental Airport. He and neighbors are used to numerous airplanes flying overhead every day. But this is the first time something like this has fallen out of the sky. The thin, metal object is painted gold and white on one side. The other side appears to be covered in some type of glue.

Terry believes it fell off an airplane.

"It scared me," he said. "It didn't scare me until I started thinking if this would have hit me."

Terry's family considers him lucky.

"If he would have been a few inches bent down more, it could have hit the top of his head," said Vasseur's daughter-in-law, Tiffany Vasseur. "And that would have been devastating."

We showed video of the object via email to a couple of airplane experts. Their consensus -- it's definitely from some type of small aircraft, perhaps an adhesive cover to an area that requires frequent inspection.

"Every day, we take chances in everything we do," said Tiffany. "But you wouldn't think just walking into your yard, that would be a chance you'd take."

Terry hopes someone missing a part to their airplane gives him a call because he's got a message for them.

"It's not sticking like it should," he said. "It is definitely could have hurt me or if this ever happens again, somebody else."

We also showed video of the object to a few experts from Continental Airlines. They say it did not come from one of its company's planes.
(Copyright © 2006, KTRK-TV)

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