September 23, 1951 — March AFB, CA
At March AFB [now March Air Reserve Base] near Long Beach, California, two F-86 jets try to intercept an object in controlled orbit at around 55,000 feet, but they run low on fuel and have to land. Two more F-86s are scrambled, with the same results. Three of the pilots report seeing a “silver airplane with highly swept-back wings,” although one of them says the UFO looks round and silver. [Eberhart]
Map:
Record Card:
AF-112:
OSI Report:
Statement by Capt. James Harvey:
Statement by Harold Guthrie:
Sources:
Project Grudge Report No. 1, p. 16;
Project Grudge Report No. 2, p. 12-14;
Brad Sparks, Blue Books Unknowns Catalogue, Case 476, p. 112;
Edward Ruppelt, The Report on Unidentified Flying Objects, pp. 94–95, 111, 113–114;
NICAP, “Swept Wing Aircraft at above 50,000ʹ / Tracked by GCI”;
