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This combined Project Sign file, drawn from USAF records, documents the 1 October 1948 encounter over Fargo, North Dakota, in which Air National Guard pilot 2nd Lt. George F. Gorman chased a small round white light in his F-51 for 27 minutes. The file holds checklists, interrogation reports by Major Paul Kubala of the ATI Field Office at Wright-Patterson, tower witness statements, Geiger readings on the aircraft and press clippings. It concludes that Gorman's statements should be accepted as truth until proven wrong.
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One object was observed over a period of 27 minutes. It consisted of a small round ball of clear white light with no physical form or shape attached. It was about 6 to 8 inches in diameter. At times this light traveled faster than the F-51 and performed maneuvers in both evasive and aggressive manner. When first sighted the object was traveling at about 250 MPH at 1,000 ft altitude. Under this condition the light was not continuous but blinked off and on. At higher performance the white light was continuous. Possibilities of other aircraft, meteorological balloon releases, Canadian Vampire Jets having been in immediate vicinity have been discredited. Geiger check now being performed on F-51 aircraft for comparison survey with unaffected aircraft. Technical studies have been initiated. The closest Gordon ever got to the object was in a bed-on pass at which time the object passed over him at less than 500 feet. It then appeared to him to be from 6 to 8 inches in diameter. It was white with no apparent glare and a clear cut edge. It apparently had depth. It did not seem an exact ball but appeared "flat". Realizing that the speed of the object was too much for him Gorman attempted to cut it off in turns. At this time his fighter sub was under full power. His speed varying from 300 - 400 MPH. The object circled to the left, he cut back to the right for a head-on pass. The pass was made at 5,000 ft, the object approaching head-on until a collision seemed inevitable. It then veered and passed 500 feet or less over the top of him. He chandelied around still without the object in sight. The object then made a 180° turn and initiated a pass at Gorman. This time Gorman watched it approach all the way and as it started to pull up he pulled up attempting to ram. The object went straight up with him following to 14,000 ft. Gorman stalled out at 14,000 ft with the object 2000 ft above him circling to the left. They then made two circles. The object then pulled away and made another head-on pass, but did not complete it, breaking off at quite some distance from Gorman and headed over Bector Airport at around 11,000 ft. Gorman gave chase circling to the left trying to cut it off until he was some 75 miles SE of Targo. He was then at 14,000 ft, the object at 11,000 ft. Again giving his engine full power he tried to catch it in a diving turn. The thing turned around and made another head-on pass. This time when it pulled up he pulled up also but it outclimbed him, traveling straight up until lost from view. Gorman then returned to the field and landed. Gorman states positively that there was "thought" behind the maneuvers.
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