Falling metal object mystifies New Jersey plant workers

© NBC New York

A 5-by-5 inch piece of metal that appears to be made of ceramic, metal and rubberlike layers fell from the sky.

Workers at a New Jersey treatment plant say they saw a heavy, metallic object fall from the sky Wednesday, and they want to know where the potentially deadly projectile came from.

The employees at Secaucus Treatment Works said the 5-by-5 inch piece of metal debris hit a railing, ricocheted off a concrete tank, then hit the ground. It landed about 25 feet from where employees were working.

"It came close. It came pretty close," said employee Victor Suppa.

It "could have killed somebody, absolutely" if it hit anyone, added operations foreman Steven Bronowich.

The workers said the object isn't part of the plant and there were no planes in the sky at the time. They were afraid to touch it at first, but they later picked it up and examined it.

They went online in search of answers and came up with all sorts of theories.

"We went on the website and we looked up space shuttle tiles, and you could see that picture there, it basically matches up with that," said Bronowich.

It seems unlikely; the last space shuttle mission was more than three years ago. So far, no one has been able to give employees a theory that seems to fit.

Employees handed the tile over to the county health department. Officials there tell NBC 4 New York it appears to be made of ceramic, metal and rubberlike layers. They were giving the piece to the FAA Friday.