Object Falls From Sky Near Maine State Capitol, Misses Person By Feet

AUGUSTA, ME — A Maine Capitol Police employee is lucky to be alive after a large metal object fell from the sky last week, landing just a few feet from where he was walking.

Screener Craig Donahue was working outside the Maine State Capitol around 12:30 p.m. Friday when the 6- to 7-pound object believed to be from an airplane crashed to the ground "at a high velocity" near the building's main entrance, Capitol police confirmed.

The object landed with a loud bang on a slab of granite lining a cobblestone walkway, located about six feet from Donahue, police said.

"It definitely shocked him," Capitol Police Chief Matthew Clancy told The Associated Press. “He was walking back to the building and got quite a wakeup call.”

Two other people saw the sleeve-shaped object fall, authorities said. No one was injured.

According to police, the part was likely from a large airliner on an international route. Capitol police immediately notified the Augusta State Airport and the Federal Aviation Administration, Airlines were also notified, which allowed all potentially affected planes to land safely.

Officials believe the metal sleeve came from a wing flap of a large passenger jet; however, authorities have not confirmed it.

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident.