The Gorman Dogfight-Encounters with UFO

On the night of October 1st 1948 Lieutenant George F. Gorman of North Dakota Air National Guard had just been on a cross-country flight with his squadron. Upon his return to Hector airport in Fargo he thought he would log some night flying time so he remained up in the air as the other airplanes landed. He circled his F-51 over the lighted football stadium and then around the city he was then preparing to land at around 9pm that night and he was cleared to do so by the control tower. He was told about another aircraft in the area (Piper Cub) which was the only other plane, he could see the light aircraft below about 500 feet below his location. Then what appeared to be a taillight of a plane passed him on the right but the tower told him they knew of no other plane in the area.

Gorman told the tower he was going to check out and investigate what he thought to be another aircraft and pulled his F-51 up and out toward the moving light. He closed in within about 1,000 yards and took a good look at the flying object. Gorman later stated - "It was about six to eight inches in diameter, clear white, and completely round without fuzz at the edges [i.e., sharp and clear]. It was blinking on and off. As I approached, however, the light suddenly became steady and pulled into a sharp left bank. I thought it was making a pass at the tower. I dived after it and brought my manifold pressure up to sixty inches but I couldn't catch up with the thing. It started gaining altitude and again made a left bank, I put my F-51 into a sharp turn and tried to cut the light off in its turn. By then we were at about 7,000 feet. Suddenly it made a sharp right turn and we headed straight at each other. Just when we were about to collide, I guess I got scared. I went into a dive and the light passed over my canopy at about 500 feet. Then, it made a left circle about 1,000 feet above, and I gave chase again."

Gorman then cut sharply toward the light which was once again coming at him when collision again seemed imminent the object shot straight upwards and into the air in a steep climb, which then disappeared overhead. Gorman again attempted to pursue it but his plane went into a power stall at about 14,000 feet and the object was not seen again. The time was now 9:27pm. Gorman was shaken by the encounter and had a hard time handling the plane Gorman was a veteran pilot and flying instructor during World War II and he had noticed no sound, Odor or exhaust trail from the strange object during the dogfight and no deviation on his instruments. At some times during the fight he had pushed the F-51 to full power sometimes even reaching 400 mph. Gorman would later describes the object as round and flattened. Air traffic controllers Lloyd D. Jensen and H E. Johnson also saw the strange light near the airfield and they stated the following - "After passing to the east of the airport it seemed to take a northwest heading, The object seemed to be at about 2,000 feet and appeared to be traveling at quite an excessive speed compared to a Piper Cub that was east of the field at the time. No definite outline could be identified. Both objects [the UFO and the Piper Cub] were sighted at the same time." Jensen said that through binoculars he sighted, "an object or a light traveling at a high rate of speed, apparently on a southwest heading. The F-51 [Gorman's plane] was some distance behind and the object was traveling fast enough to increase the spacing between itself and the fighter. The object appeared to be only a round light, perfectly formed, with no fuzzy edges or rays leaving its body. The edges were clear cut. No other shape was observed. The main identifying characteristic was the high rate of speed at which it was apparently traveling." The pilot of the Piper Cub, Dr. A. E. Cannon, and his passenger, Einar Nielson, also witnessed the swiftly moving light while in radio communication with the tower: "While circling the football field at NDAC at 1,600 feet, Fargo tower advised us that there was an F-51 in the air and a few moments later asked us who the third plane might be," Cannon said, "We had noticed the 51 and when we were over the north side of Hector field going west, a light, seemingly on a plane, passed above and to the north, moving very swiftly toward the west. At first we thought it was the 51, but we then saw the light of the 51 higher and move over the field. We landed on Runway 3, taxied to the administration building, and went up to the tower and listened to the calls from the 51, which seemed to be trying to overtake the plane or lighted object, which then went southwest and over the city. The object was moving very swiftly, much faster than the 51. We tried to get a better view with a pair of binoculars, but couldn't follow it well enough."

Gorman stated that he was certain the object was under the control of something intelligent he also stated - "I am also convinced that the object was governed by the laws of inertia because its acceleration was rapid but not immediate, and although it was able to turn fairly tight at considerable speed, it still followed a natural curve." He stated that the light was able to attain a much steeper climb than his F-51 and also outturn and out speed his F-51 also.

The Gorman Dogfight has now become one of the most noted UFO encounters in PROJECT BLUE BOOK, the Air Force’s official record.