Project 10073 Record Card: Eagle River, Wisconsin Sighting, 18 April 1961

This document details the investigation of an alleged UFO landing and contact incident involving Joe Simonton near Eagle River, Wisconsin, on 18 April 1961. Simonton reported that a metallic, saucer-shaped craft landed on his property, emitting an intense whining sound. He claimed that three occupants, described as approximately five feet tall and wearing black uniforms, appeared at a hatch and requested water. Simonton provided water in a jug, and in return, the occupants gave him four small, perforated cakes. The craft then departed vertically. The incident received significant media attention. The Air Force, assisted by Dr. J. Allen Hynek, conducted a thorough investigation. Samples of the cakes were submitted to the Food and Drug Administration and the Aeronautical Systems Division for analysis. Both agencies concluded that the cakes were ordinary, terrestrial pancakes composed of flour, sugar, salt, and hydrogenated oil. Investigators interviewed Simonton and local witnesses, including a judge who was a member of NICAP. While investigators found Simonton to be a sincere and balanced individual, they concluded that the incident was likely a hallucination followed by a delusion, noting the lack of physical landing traces and the implausibility of the narrative. The Air Force decided not to pursue the case further, citing the lack of a national security threat and the potential for causing the witness undue embarrassment or psychological harm. The document includes correspondence, laboratory reports, and press clippings regarding the incident.