Project 10073 Record and Related Correspondence — St. Paul, Minnesota, March 1967

This document collection details a series of U.F.O. sightings reported on March 22, 1967, in the vicinity of New London and Ringo Lake, Minnesota. The primary report originates from the Minnesota Highway Patrol, specifically involving Officer Richard Morelan and Captain Walter W. Whitson. Witnesses, including a woman and her daughter, as well as a local farmer and his son, reported observing a bright, self-contained light hovering at low altitude (tree-top height) for several minutes before departing at a high rate of speed. Witnesses described the object as having a bright white light, with some reporting red and green lights, a triangular shape, and small windows. The witnesses reported no sound and no physical impact on the environment. Captain Whitson documented these accounts and forwarded them to the Air Force for investigation. The 934th Troop Carrier Group (M) (RES) at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport investigated the reports. They determined that two SP2E anti-submarine patrol aircraft were conducting local training flights in the area at the time of the sightings. The Air Force concluded that these aircraft, which utilize high-intensity carbon arc lights for water search operations, provided the most reasonable explanation for the observations, noting that such lights can appear closer than they actually are, especially at night. A subsequent letter from Colonel James C. Manatt further suggested that other sightings in the region might be attributed to hot air balloons.