Eagle River, WisconsinApril 1961

On April 18, 1961, at 11 a.m., Joe Simonton, a 60 year old plumber living near Eagle River, Wisconsin, heard a loud whining sound outside his home. Looking out the window, he saw a disc shaped object, described as looking like two soup bowls placed together, lowering toward the ground. The object was roughly 30 feet in diameter and 12 feet thick, with a metallic surface brighter than chrome.

Simonton was not frightened and approached the craft, which appeared to be hovering just above the ground. A hatch opened, and a man emerged wearing a black suit and skull cap. The occupant was about 5 feet tall and had what Simonton described as Italian features. Simonton could see two other similarly dressed men inside, along with what appeared to be three control panels and a man cooking something on a flameless grill. The man at the hatch held out a jug and made motions indicating he wanted water. Simonton went inside his house, filled the jug at his basement pump, and returned it to the craft. In exchange, he received four small pancake like cakes, which were warm to the touch. After exchanging a gesture of salute, Simonton stepped back and the hatch closed. The craft rose with the same whining sound, tilted to a 45 degree angle, and disappeared to the south in approximately two seconds.

The Air Force investigated the case, sending Dr. J. Allen Hynek from Northwestern University to interview Simonton. The Air Force also collected the cakes for analysis. The Food and Drug Administration found the material to be an ordinary pancake made of buckwheat, fat, starch, and hydrogenated oil, of terrestrial origin. The Aeronautical Systems Division reached the same conclusion through separate analysis.

Despite Simonton's apparent sincerity and good standing in the community, investigators noted inconsistencies in his account. They consulted with a psychologist who concluded that Simonton had likely experienced a hallucination followed by delusion, though the hallucination was apparently confined to his mental state. The investigators also noted that a local judge with a strong interest in UFOs may have influenced Simonton's story through earlier conversations. Ultimately, the Air Force decided not to pursue the case further, citing the lack of corroborating evidence and the potential harm to Simonton's mental health that continued investigation might cause.

The full 98 page case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives.