Black River Falls, Wisconsin UFO Sighting (July 10, 1947) — FBI Files (D33P67)
Government records detail the 1947 discovery of a silver-painted, motorized cardboard disc near Black River Falls, Wisconsin, investigated by the FBI.
Historical Context
The summer of 1947 represents a pivotal era in the history of unidentified aerial phenomena. Following the Kenneth Arnold sighting in June 194
7, the American public consciousness underwent a rapid shift toward the observation of “flying saucer” shaped objects. This period saw a surge in reports across the United States, coinciding with the high-altitude balloon experiments of Project Mogul and the intense secrecy surrounding post-war aeronautical developments. During this time, the Federal Bureau of Investigation maintained active protocols for monitoring unusual aerial activity, particularly when such sightings occurred near vital installations or within jurisdictions managed by regional field offices. The Bureau’s administrative structure at the time ensured that reports from various outposts, including those in Knoxville, Albuquerque, and Los Angeles, were routed to headquarters for centralized processing.
The geographic setting of Black River Falls, situated in the wooded landscape of western Wisconsin, provided a typical backdrop for such mid-century observations. The region, characterized by its river systems and dense vegetation, often became a focal point for investigations into anomalous objects that appeared to traverse the lower atmosphere.
The July 10 Incident
On July 10, 1947, an incident occurred in the vicinity of Black River Falls that was subsequently documented within official government files. The details of this event were not made available to the general public until May 8, 2026, when they were released through the Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters (PURSUE). The documentation, identified under FBI file D33P67, provides a technical account of an object recovered during the investigation.
The primary figure noted in the documentation is City Engineer Sig Hanson, who discovered a large, 17-inch disc in the area near Black River Falls. The physical characteristics of the object were highly specific; the disc appeared to be constructed from cardboard and was finished with silver paint. The internal mechanics of the object included a tube, a small motor, and a propeller. Upon inspection of the object’s construction, Colonel Schafer expressed skepticism regarding the disc’s capacity for independent flight. While the witnesses described the object as being disc- or saucer-shaped, the released document does not specify the total number of individuals who observed the object prior to its recovery.
Classification and Investigation Status
The nature of the object remains a subject of official ambiguity. Under the current administrative framework of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), all records released via the PURSUE program are designated as unresolved by default. The federal government has maintained a neutral stance regarding the Black River Falls discovery, neither concluding that the event was anomalous nor confirming that it was the result of conventional means.
The investigation of such cases in the late 1940s often had to contend with a variety of plausible atmospheric and technological phenomena. Researchers and investigators of the era frequently considered experimental aircraft, weather balloons, and various astronomical events, such as the visibility of Venus or meteors near the horizon, as potential explanations. Atmospheric optical phenomena, including lenticular clouds or sundogs, also served as frequent candidates for sightings of unidentified objects. In the case of the Black River Falls disc, the presence of a motor and propeller suggests a mechanical origin, yet the official status of the event remains officially unclassified.