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March Air Force Base Case
September 23, 1951
California
Francis Ridge:
This report was incorrectly dated in the NICAP
UFO Evidence
as July 23, 1951. The clearance letter (Chop) lists it as Sept. 28th.
The case has always been a good one, but having the BB documents
supporting it makes it even more compelling. The two groups of
documents I found are linked below.
About 30 miles W of Long Beach Airport to Camp Pendleton, and March AFB, Calif. (BBU)
7-9:25 a.m. (PDT). 2 F-86 jet interceptors were scrambled from George AFB, near Victorville, Calif., then vectored by air defense GCI radar to [a target?] off the coast about 30 miles W of Long Beach Airport, where the jets circled and headed E toward Long Beach when an object was seen at 12 o'clock high position at 7:55 a.m. in a left orbit at about 50,000 ft above the F-86's, appearing to be a bright silvery aircraft with highly swept back 45° wings; [the F-86's tried to climb to intercept the object but it climbed away in response]. Another 2 F-86's were scrambled from George AFB at about 8:00 as the first 2 were running low on fuel and were released to return at 8:10-15 when the 2nd flight arrived. The 2nd pair of F-86's was vectored by GCI radar to Camp Pendleton, arrived there at 8:10 at 43,000 ft [and circled?], spotted the object at 1 o'clock high back to the N toward Muroc/Edwards AFB appearing at about 50,000-55,000 ft in a controlled orbit right and left, appearing as a swept wing aircraft [that sped up when the F-86's tried to close] and the object was found near March AFB, Riverside, to the NNW but they broke off intercept because of low fuel at about 8:20-25, landing at 8:45. 3rd flight of 2 F-86's scrambled [at about 8:45??] from George AFB [?] saw the object shortly after takeoff seeming to be heading S as F-86's made climbing turns up to 43,500 ft under the round silvery object [at 55,000? ft over the San Bernardino Mtns. ?] until breaking off intercept at about 9:25 a.m. [A 7th F-86 was scrambled to the S toward Long Beach but the UFO was gone.] (GRUDGE Rpts. 1 and 2; Ruppelt pp. 94-5)
BB Archive Doc Group NARA-PBB85 566 (566-568) - Fran Ridge
From Long beach to Camp Pendleton - MAXW-PBB8-1583-1588,1596-1617 - Dan Wilson
BB Archive Doc Group MAXW-PBB8 1604 (1604-1649) & PBB2 273 - Fran Ridge
The Report and the Flimsy Analysis - Francis Ridge
The original Project Blue Book Special Report Doc, Page 16
Analysis:Air Force Documents Supporting Negative Conclusion, PBBSR, Pages 44-47
NICAP Home Page