Wright-Patterson AFB: F-51 Mustangs Chase Huge Metallic Object on Radar
On March 8, 1950, four F-51 Mustangs from Wright-Patterson AFB were dispatched to engage an unknown tracked on radar; two pilots identified it as huge, circular, and metallic before weather forced them to break off.
Background
At 7:50 a.m., March 8, 1950, four F-51 Mustangs were dispatched from Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, Ohio, to engage an unknown observed from the tower and tracked on radar. Two pilots came close enough to identify the object as huge, circular, and metallic. But severe weather forced them to break off the chase.
The significance of this event lies in its location: Wright-Patterson AFB was the headquarters of Air Materiel Command and the center of the Air Force's own UFO investigation programs (Project Sign, Project Grudge, and later Project Blue Book).