On the night of October 1, 1948, North Dakota National Guard pilot George Gorman engaged in a 27-minute aerial chase with a small, fast-moving ball of light over Fargo. The event, which became known as the "Gorman Dogfight," was one of three "classic" UFO cases in 1948 that initially convinced Air Force investigators that unidentified flying objects were a genuine phenomenon.1 Gorman, a seasoned P-51 Mustang pilot, pursued the object as it performed maneuvers that seemed to defy the laws of physics.2
The Aerial Chase
During a night flight, Gorman noticed what he first thought was the taillight of another aircraft, but it was moving erratically. He closed in to investigate and saw a bright, circular light, about six to eight inches in diameter, with no discernible fuselage or wings.3 For nearly half an hour, Gorman chased the object as it out-accelerated his fighter, made sharp, instantaneous turns, and on multiple occasions, appeared to play a game of "chicken," heading directly for his plane before veering off at the last second.4 The encounter was also witnessed by two air traffic controllers in the Fargo airport tower and two occupants of a separate Piper Cub airplane.1
Investigation and Explanation
Project Sign investigators arrived promptly to interview Gorman and the other witnesses. They noted that Gorman's P-51 Mustang registered a higher level of radioactivity than other aircraft, though this was later dismissed as a result of high-altitude flight.5 The Air Force's official conclusion was that Gorman had been chasing a lighted weather balloon launched from a nearby weather station.2 Investigators theorized that the object's incredible maneuvers were an illusion created by Gorman's own movements and that he may have confused the planet Jupiter for the object after losing sight of the balloon.1 Gorman, however, remained convinced that what he chased was under intelligent control.3