1
00:00:42,310 --> 00:00:27,670
[Music]

2
00:00:48,069 --> 00:00:44,229
pancakes from the ufo

3
00:00:51,029 --> 00:00:48,079
by charles lear in 1961 major donald e

4
00:00:52,950 --> 00:00:51,039
keough usmc retired was the director of

5
00:00:54,310 --> 00:00:52,960
the national investigations committee on

6
00:00:56,389 --> 00:00:54,320
aerial phenomena

7
00:00:58,549 --> 00:00:56,399
that year he and his organization were

8
00:01:00,229 --> 00:00:58,559
making life difficult for the air force

9
00:01:02,470 --> 00:01:00,239
with criticism of their ufo

10
00:01:04,229 --> 00:01:02,480
investigation project blue book

11
00:01:05,750 --> 00:01:04,239
this was nothing new but now they were

12
00:01:06,390 --> 00:01:05,760
close to getting open hearings in

13
00:01:08,870 --> 00:01:06,400
congress

14
00:01:09,789 --> 00:01:08,880
to address their criticisms then on

15
00:01:13,750 --> 00:01:09,799
april 18

16
00:01:16,310 --> 00:01:13,760
1961 joe simonton a 54 year old plumber

17
00:01:18,390 --> 00:01:16,320
handyman and part-time chicken farmer

18
00:01:20,789 --> 00:01:18,400
reported a ufo encounter involving

19
00:01:22,590 --> 00:01:20,799
humanoids and offered physical evidence

20
00:01:24,070 --> 00:01:22,600
not usually associated with

21
00:01:26,070 --> 00:01:24,080
extraterrestrials

22
00:01:28,070 --> 00:01:26,080
this was a strange case with a single

23
00:01:29,910 --> 00:01:28,080
witness but blue book director

24
00:01:31,109 --> 00:01:29,920
robert friend thought the air force

25
00:01:33,109 --> 00:01:31,119
should get involved

26
00:01:35,030 --> 00:01:33,119
he mistakenly thought that nycap would

27
00:01:36,950 --> 00:01:35,040
turn the case into a big story

28
00:01:38,069 --> 00:01:36,960
and accuse the air force of shirking its

29
00:01:40,069 --> 00:01:38,079
duties

30
00:01:42,950 --> 00:01:40,079
simonton first told the story to his

31
00:01:45,270 --> 00:01:42,960
friend vias county judge franklin carter

32
00:01:48,069 --> 00:01:45,280
carter had been a ufo enthusiast since

33
00:01:50,149 --> 00:01:48,079
kenneth arnold's 1947 report

34
00:01:52,069 --> 00:01:50,159
carter interviewed simonton and wrote an

35
00:01:53,030 --> 00:01:52,079
exclusive report for gray barker's

36
00:01:55,429 --> 00:01:53,040
publication

37
00:01:56,149 --> 00:01:55,439
the sausarian bulletin according to

38
00:01:58,469 --> 00:01:56,159
simonton

39
00:02:00,149 --> 00:01:58,479
he heard a loud noise over his farmhouse

40
00:02:02,230 --> 00:02:00,159
in eagle river wisconsin

41
00:02:04,469 --> 00:02:02,240
he described it as sounding something

42
00:02:07,109 --> 00:02:04,479
like the screech of automobile wheels

43
00:02:09,109 --> 00:02:07,119
as a car goes around a sharp bend fast

44
00:02:10,070 --> 00:02:09,119
he looked out a window and saw a shiny

45
00:02:12,470 --> 00:02:10,080
metal object

46
00:02:13,350 --> 00:02:12,480
descend and land in his driveway it was

47
00:02:15,750 --> 00:02:13,360
shaped like

48
00:02:17,030 --> 00:02:15,760
two plates or balls one inverted over

49
00:02:19,510 --> 00:02:17,040
the top of the other

50
00:02:20,309 --> 00:02:19,520
he went outside and a door opened in the

51
00:02:22,150 --> 00:02:20,319
object

52
00:02:24,630 --> 00:02:22,160
a five-foot humanoid appeared in the

53
00:02:26,550 --> 00:02:24,640
doorway and as simonton approached

54
00:02:27,750 --> 00:02:26,560
the man tilted his head back and made

55
00:02:29,910 --> 00:02:27,760
drinking motions

56
00:02:30,790 --> 00:02:29,920
he handed simonton a metal vessel with

57
00:02:34,229 --> 00:02:30,800
two handles

58
00:02:35,030 --> 00:02:34,239
and simonton said oh water simonton went

59
00:02:37,110 --> 00:02:35,040
into his house

60
00:02:38,229 --> 00:02:37,120
filled the vessel and then returned he

61
00:02:40,070 --> 00:02:38,239
handed the vessel up

62
00:02:41,270 --> 00:02:40,080
and the man touched his forehead with

63
00:02:43,750 --> 00:02:41,280
the tips of his fingers

64
00:02:45,830 --> 00:02:43,760
and then pulled them away simonton took

65
00:02:47,750 --> 00:02:45,840
this to be a gesture of gratitude

66
00:02:49,990 --> 00:02:47,760
and he gave a military salute in

67
00:02:52,390 --> 00:02:50,000
acknowledgment during this exchange

68
00:02:54,869 --> 00:02:52,400
he noticed two more occupants all three

69
00:02:57,110 --> 00:02:54,879
were wearing what simonton described as

70
00:02:58,550 --> 00:02:57,120
a one-piece tunic with no buttons or

71
00:03:00,710 --> 00:02:58,560
zippers that i could see

72
00:03:02,229 --> 00:03:00,720
but with a hood up over the head the

73
00:03:04,710 --> 00:03:02,239
clothing was made from

74
00:03:06,869 --> 00:03:04,720
what looked like a black jersey material

75
00:03:09,670 --> 00:03:06,879
they all looked human but were smaller

76
00:03:10,949 --> 00:03:09,680
simonton described them as being swarthy

77
00:03:12,790 --> 00:03:10,959
like italians

78
00:03:14,869 --> 00:03:12,800
the two other occupants seemed to be

79
00:03:15,670 --> 00:03:14,879
tethered one to a control panel he was

80
00:03:17,190 --> 00:03:15,680
working with

81
00:03:19,190 --> 00:03:17,200
and the other to what seemed to be a

82
00:03:20,869 --> 00:03:19,200
stove with no visible flame

83
00:03:23,030 --> 00:03:20,879
the one at the stove appeared to be

84
00:03:23,750 --> 00:03:23,040
cooking and this attracted simonton's

85
00:03:26,149 --> 00:03:23,760
interest

86
00:03:27,830 --> 00:03:26,159
the occupant with the vessel noted this

87
00:03:30,229 --> 00:03:27,840
and picked up what looked like four

88
00:03:32,309 --> 00:03:30,239
pancakes and gave them to simonton

89
00:03:34,710 --> 00:03:32,319
he then shut the door and simonton could

90
00:03:36,949 --> 00:03:34,720
barely see a trace of where it had been

91
00:03:38,789 --> 00:03:36,959
as he was describing all this to carter

92
00:03:40,229 --> 00:03:38,799
it dawned on him that the object had

93
00:03:41,190 --> 00:03:40,239
been hovering during the entire

94
00:03:44,070 --> 00:03:41,200
encounter

95
00:03:45,670 --> 00:03:44,080
after the door closed the craft rose up

96
00:03:48,390 --> 00:03:45,680
tilted and then took off

97
00:03:49,589 --> 00:03:48,400
there was a backwash that caused a pine

98
00:03:52,149 --> 00:03:49,599
tree with an eight to nine

99
00:03:53,429 --> 00:03:52,159
inch trunk to bend completely back the

100
00:03:55,429 --> 00:03:53,439
trees sprung forward

101
00:03:57,030 --> 00:03:55,439
wobbled and then stayed upright with no

102
00:03:59,030 --> 00:03:57,040
noticeable damage

103
00:04:00,229 --> 00:03:59,040
carter asked simonton if he had the

104
00:04:02,390 --> 00:04:00,239
cakes with him

105
00:04:03,509 --> 00:04:02,400
simonton then pulled a rolled up package

106
00:04:05,270 --> 00:04:03,519
out of his pocket

107
00:04:07,190 --> 00:04:05,280
he unrolled it and took out three of the

108
00:04:08,149 --> 00:04:07,200
four pieces of food stuff that had been

109
00:04:10,390 --> 00:04:08,159
handed to him

110
00:04:13,030 --> 00:04:10,400
he had eaten one while it was still hot

111
00:04:15,509 --> 00:04:13,040
and reported it tasted like cardboard

112
00:04:17,030 --> 00:04:15,519
carter described them as oblong about

113
00:04:17,749 --> 00:04:17,040
three and a half to two and a half

114
00:04:20,069 --> 00:04:17,759
inches

115
00:04:21,270 --> 00:04:20,079
fairly thick but perforated clear

116
00:04:23,189 --> 00:04:21,280
through with holes about the

117
00:04:25,110 --> 00:04:23,199
circumference of a lead pencil

118
00:04:27,670 --> 00:04:25,120
he noted that they smelled like goose

119
00:04:30,550 --> 00:04:27,680
grease and were flexible like rubber

120
00:04:32,230 --> 00:04:30,560
carter was a nycap member ran a ufo club

121
00:04:33,830 --> 00:04:32,240
and held meetings at his home

122
00:04:35,270 --> 00:04:33,840
he asked if he could have one of the

123
00:04:37,830 --> 00:04:35,280
cakes for analysis

124
00:04:39,749 --> 00:04:37,840
and simonton gave him one carter sent a

125
00:04:40,950 --> 00:04:39,759
piece of it directly to donald kehoe

126
00:04:42,950 --> 00:04:40,960
along with a letter

127
00:04:44,870 --> 00:04:42,960
the story made the local paper was

128
00:04:45,830 --> 00:04:44,880
picked up by the newswires and went

129
00:04:47,909 --> 00:04:45,840
national

130
00:04:49,590 --> 00:04:47,919
carter told reporters the kehoe and

131
00:04:52,390 --> 00:04:49,600
nycap were analyzing

132
00:04:54,390 --> 00:04:52,400
a pancake from outer space without any

133
00:04:55,749 --> 00:04:54,400
confirmation from nycap that they were

134
00:04:57,590 --> 00:04:55,759
willing to do so

135
00:04:59,909 --> 00:04:57,600
not wanting to be associated with the

136
00:05:01,510 --> 00:04:59,919
story kiho told reporters

137
00:05:03,029 --> 00:05:01,520
that he had returned the material

138
00:05:04,870 --> 00:05:03,039
without analyzing it

139
00:05:06,150 --> 00:05:04,880
according to carter in his story for

140
00:05:07,990 --> 00:05:06,160
sausarian bulletin

141
00:05:09,990 --> 00:05:08,000
he never received the material from

142
00:05:12,070 --> 00:05:10,000
kehoe nor any acknowledgement

143
00:05:13,670 --> 00:05:12,080
that they'd received it from him he

144
00:05:15,830 --> 00:05:13,680
wrote another letter to kehoe

145
00:05:17,029 --> 00:05:15,840
and it was answered by nycap secretary

146
00:05:19,990 --> 00:05:17,039
richard hall

147
00:05:21,830 --> 00:05:20,000
hall explained that nycap was engaged in

148
00:05:22,710 --> 00:05:21,840
very important liaison work with

149
00:05:24,870 --> 00:05:22,720
congress

150
00:05:25,749 --> 00:05:24,880
and they did not propose to compromise

151
00:05:27,909 --> 00:05:25,759
this work

152
00:05:30,550 --> 00:05:27,919
for the sake of an unproven and you must

153
00:05:32,550 --> 00:05:30,560
admit fantastic sounding claim

154
00:05:33,990 --> 00:05:32,560
adding to the insult the material was

155
00:05:36,150 --> 00:05:34,000
still not returned

156
00:05:37,990 --> 00:05:36,160
carter responded with an angry letter to

157
00:05:40,550 --> 00:05:38,000
kehoe telling him he should change the

158
00:05:42,230 --> 00:05:40,560
name of its organization from national

159
00:05:43,110 --> 00:05:42,240
investigations committee on aerial

160
00:05:44,950 --> 00:05:43,120
phenomena

161
00:05:47,590 --> 00:05:44,960
to national suppression of aerial

162
00:05:49,430 --> 00:05:47,600
phenomena carter had accused kehoe of

163
00:05:50,629 --> 00:05:49,440
doing what he'd been accusing the air

164
00:05:52,870 --> 00:05:50,639
force of doing

165
00:05:54,710 --> 00:05:52,880
kehoe was personally criticized by other

166
00:05:57,029 --> 00:05:54,720
ufo investigators

167
00:05:59,990 --> 00:05:57,039
an article on the last page of the july

168
00:06:03,430 --> 00:06:00,000
august 1961 nycap publication

169
00:06:05,830 --> 00:06:03,440
ufo investigator response titled

170
00:06:07,749 --> 00:06:05,840
facts behind the pancake story it

171
00:06:09,590 --> 00:06:07,759
justifies nycap's handling of the

172
00:06:11,590 --> 00:06:09,600
material sent to them by carter

173
00:06:13,990 --> 00:06:11,600
and points out that carter had spoken to

174
00:06:15,510 --> 00:06:14,000
the press without consulting them

175
00:06:17,270 --> 00:06:15,520
it then tells the story of the

176
00:06:19,430 --> 00:06:17,280
material's journey into the hands of

177
00:06:20,070 --> 00:06:19,440
civilian saucer intelligence of new york

178
00:06:22,870 --> 00:06:20,080
member

179
00:06:23,830 --> 00:06:22,880
lex mebane who is then a nycap advisor

180
00:06:26,469 --> 00:06:23,840
as well

181
00:06:27,350 --> 00:06:26,479
the cake was sent to nycap board member

182
00:06:29,350 --> 00:06:27,360
professor c

183
00:06:31,670 --> 00:06:29,360
a mani who was planning to give it to

184
00:06:32,550 --> 00:06:31,680
his colleague chemistry professor nathan

185
00:06:35,990 --> 00:06:32,560
meltz

186
00:06:38,230 --> 00:06:36,000
back to nycap

187
00:06:39,350 --> 00:06:38,240
nycap then sent it to me bane who was a

188
00:06:41,110 --> 00:06:39,360
chemist himself

189
00:06:42,790 --> 00:06:41,120
and he did a preliminary test to

190
00:06:45,830 --> 00:06:42,800
identify the fat content

191
00:06:48,550 --> 00:06:45,840
he identified it as hydrogenated oil he

192
00:06:50,629 --> 00:06:48,560
wanted to do a chromatographic analysis

193
00:06:52,469 --> 00:06:50,639
that would cost one hundred dollars and

194
00:06:54,230 --> 00:06:52,479
an isotopic examination

195
00:06:56,629 --> 00:06:54,240
that would cost one hundred and eighty

196
00:06:57,110 --> 00:06:56,639
dollars it is explained in the article

197
00:06:59,749 --> 00:06:57,120
that

198
00:07:01,749 --> 00:06:59,759
due to nycap's financial difficulties we

199
00:07:04,710 --> 00:07:01,759
do not feel justified now

200
00:07:05,510 --> 00:07:04,720
in spending 300 on additional pancake

201
00:07:08,790 --> 00:07:05,520
analysis

202
00:07:10,629 --> 00:07:08,800
when more urgent projects require funds

203
00:07:13,350 --> 00:07:10,639
robert friend heard about the case on

204
00:07:14,550 --> 00:07:13,360
april 26 from the duluth minnesota air

205
00:07:16,469 --> 00:07:14,560
defense sector

206
00:07:18,469 --> 00:07:16,479
he then spoke with carter who told him

207
00:07:19,350 --> 00:07:18,479
that he'd sent material to kehoe and

208
00:07:21,749 --> 00:07:19,360
nycap

209
00:07:22,390 --> 00:07:21,759
friend called scientific consultant jl

210
00:07:25,510 --> 00:07:22,400
and heineck

211
00:07:27,510 --> 00:07:25,520
at around 10 45 a.m and said he thought

212
00:07:29,510 --> 00:07:27,520
it would be advisable to learn more

213
00:07:30,950 --> 00:07:29,520
about the case before nycap turned it

214
00:07:33,270 --> 00:07:30,960
into a big story

215
00:07:35,589 --> 00:07:33,280
heinek agreed to fly out immediately he

216
00:07:37,430 --> 00:07:35,599
took along two northwestern university

217
00:07:39,749 --> 00:07:37,440
graduate astronomy students

218
00:07:41,749 --> 00:07:39,759
walter weller and john tumlin they

219
00:07:42,390 --> 00:07:41,759
located simonton and interviewed him at

220
00:07:43,990 --> 00:07:42,400
his farm

221
00:07:45,830 --> 00:07:44,000
he repeated his story and it was

222
00:07:47,270 --> 00:07:45,840
consistent with what had been published

223
00:07:49,350 --> 00:07:47,280
in the various accounts

224
00:07:51,749 --> 00:07:49,360
they went to dinner and heinek attempted

225
00:07:53,830 --> 00:07:51,759
to draw him out on various topics

226
00:07:54,950 --> 00:07:53,840
heinek noted that people passing by the

227
00:07:56,790 --> 00:07:54,960
table would greet him

228
00:07:58,230 --> 00:07:56,800
as though he were a very respected

229
00:07:59,909 --> 00:07:58,240
member of the community

230
00:08:02,390 --> 00:07:59,919
heinek went to the bar and started a

231
00:08:02,710 --> 00:08:02,400
conversation it was his impression from

232
00:08:04,550 --> 00:08:02,720
this

233
00:08:06,390 --> 00:08:04,560
and other talk he'd heard around town

234
00:08:07,830 --> 00:08:06,400
that most of the people in eagle river

235
00:08:09,670 --> 00:08:07,840
believed simonton

236
00:08:11,990 --> 00:08:09,680
heineck's biggest problem with the case

237
00:08:13,830 --> 00:08:12,000
is that it involved a single witness he

238
00:08:15,589 --> 00:08:13,840
advised that the air force should hold

239
00:08:16,629 --> 00:08:15,599
to the practice of not investigating

240
00:08:18,309 --> 00:08:16,639
such cases

241
00:08:19,909 --> 00:08:18,319
and that this should be noted when

242
00:08:22,309 --> 00:08:19,919
discussing this case

243
00:08:24,150 --> 00:08:22,319
he added that the air force should state

244
00:08:25,110 --> 00:08:24,160
that this particular case was only

245
00:08:27,830 --> 00:08:25,120
investigated

246
00:08:29,990 --> 00:08:27,840
because of its possible nuisance value

247
00:08:31,189 --> 00:08:30,000
simonton gave heineck a sample of one of

248
00:08:32,630 --> 00:08:31,199
the pancakes

249
00:08:34,709 --> 00:08:32,640
it was sent to the food and drug

250
00:08:36,949 --> 00:08:34,719
administration where a microscopic

251
00:08:39,029 --> 00:08:36,959
analysis showed the presence of fat

252
00:08:40,310 --> 00:08:39,039
starch buckwheat holes wheat bran and

253
00:08:42,310 --> 00:08:40,320
soybean holes

254
00:08:44,870 --> 00:08:42,320
they concluded that it appeared to be a

255
00:08:46,949 --> 00:08:44,880
piece of ordinary buckwheat pancake

256
00:08:48,710 --> 00:08:46,959
in regard to simonton's sighting the

257
00:08:49,910 --> 00:08:48,720
conclusion on the project blue book

258
00:08:52,310 --> 00:08:49,920
record card is

259
00:08:54,150 --> 00:08:52,320
hallucination this case proved

260
00:08:56,389 --> 00:08:54,160
disastrous for nikap

261
00:08:57,269 --> 00:08:56,399
they were experiencing serious financial

262
00:08:59,430 --> 00:08:57,279
difficulties

263
00:09:00,630 --> 00:08:59,440
and now they were facing harsh criticism

264
00:09:02,310 --> 00:09:00,640
from their peers

265
00:09:04,710 --> 00:09:02,320
they were being distracted just when

266
00:09:06,949 --> 00:09:04,720
they were close to success with congress

267
00:09:08,230 --> 00:09:06,959
richard hall wrote in a letter to mibane

268
00:09:10,230 --> 00:09:08,240
accordingly this

269
00:09:11,430 --> 00:09:10,240
contact d case couldn't have happened to

270
00:09:12,949 --> 00:09:11,440
the worst time

271
00:09:25,200 --> 00:09:12,959
those in project blue book might have