THE ELSINORE ENCOUNTER, 18TH MAY 1954
Douglas F3D Skyknight BuNo.125845 belonged to VMF(AW)-513, a USMC all-weather fighter squadron. A similar aircraft assigned to VMF(AW)-542, flown by an RAF exchange pilot, was involved in a UFO sighting over California in May 1954. (US Navy, public domain)
BRITISH PILOTS ON exchange postings with the American forces were occasionally seeing and reporting UFOs as they flew missions over the United States. One such event took place on the early afternoon of 18th May 1954 over California. Squadron Leader Donald Higgin had been assigned to VMF(AW)-542, an all-weather fighter unit based at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro. On the day in question, he was flying a McDonnell F3D Skyknight naval jet fighter on an exercise with another similar aircraft over the Oceanside area of California. The official report (1) into the incident reads as follows:
“Squadron Leader Higgin, in a signed statement, advised that on 18th May 1954, he was on an AIA exercise [one-on-one intercept training) as pilot of F3D2 WH20 [aircraft call-sign] in conjunction with F3D2 WH18, piloted by Major R. Browning. This exercise was carried out at 22,000 feet in the Oceanside, California area, and was for the most part uneventful.
At approximately 1240 hours, Higgin took up the right wing position on WH18 and a descent was commenced on a heading of 240 degrees, speed 300 knots indicated. As he closed formation on WH18, Higgin observed what appeared to be an aircraft in the eleven o’clock position, just visible over the cockpit of WH18. Higgin did not estimate the range but immediately realized that a head-on collision between the object and WH18 appeared imminent. Before Higgin could make any action to transmit, the object paused just over WH18 and between WH18 and his aircraft. For an instant, Higgin observed the object in plain view. He described it as dark gun metal hue with no visible markings. It appeared to measure approximately half the length of his F3D (about 22 feet) and was delta winged. A third fin was visible on the upper half. The wing span was the size of, or a little less than, the total length. The ‘gun metal glint’ was most noticeable, according to Higgin. The course of the object was approximately 030 degrees, and it appeared to be descending at an angle of about 24 to 30 degrees. Higgin could only state that its speed appeared to be ‘very high’, at least that of the F3D, and probably much higher.
Squadron Leader Donald Higgin drew this sketch of the unidentified craft he saw near Lake Elsinore, California, on the afternoon of 18th May 1954. It flew in close proximity to his and another F3D Skyknight jet fighter, making the pilot believe that it had hit his flight leader at one point. (Project Blue Book files)
Higgin stated that this series of events took place with great rapidity, and by the time he was able to explain to his Radar Observer. Flight Lieutenant R. W. Dalton [another RAF exchange officer], the object had vanished to his left.
Squadron Leader Higgin stated that he was left with the impression that WH18 had been struck, and immediately visually checked and contacted Major Browning by UHF [radio]. Neither Major Browning’s Radar Observer, nor Squadron Leader Higgin’s Radar Observer, Flight Lieutenant Dalton, had seen the object. Squadron Leader Higgin concluded by stating that the altitude of all three aircraft at the time of this incident was approximately 16,000 feet, the time 1243 and the position as 10 to 15 miles south-east of Lake Elsinore.
In a signed statement, Ronald W. Dalton, Flight Lieutenant, Royal Air Force, flying as Radar Observer for Squadron Leader Higgin at the time of this incident, corroborated the statements of Higgin as to time, altitude and location, and the fact that Higgin asked him, ‘Did you see that?’, to which Dalton replied that he did not.”
Also included within the report was Donald Higgin’s signed statement as referred to above. Most of this had been covered by the intelligence officer as already stated in the latter’s report but the following paragraph explained why the RAF exchange officer was the only one of the four airman to see the object:
As the mysterious craft was initially believe to be another aircraft, one possible candidate was the Vought F7U Cutlass, although it was almost as big as a Skyknight and did not have a third tail fin. The general layout of the Cutlass was somewhat similar to the delta-winged shape reported by Higgin but the size and number of tail fins would seem to rule this particular aircraft out. (US Navy, public domain)
“The course of the object was approximately 030 degrees and it appeared to be descending at an angle of about 25 degrees to 30 degrees. Its speed can only be assessed as ‘very high’, at least of the F3D and probably much higher. The series of events took place with great rapidity and by the time I had exclaimed to my RO (Flight Lieutenant R. W. Dalton) the object had vanished to my left. I was left with the impression that WH18 had been struck. I immediately visually checked and contacted Major Browning by UHF. Neither he or his RO had seen the object and Flight Lieutenant Dalton was looking out to starboard at the time.”
In fact, Dalton was looking down at Lake Elsinore, about six or seven miles off to the starboard side of the Skyknights and as his attention was diverted from the scene developing in front of his aircraft, he did not see the object. The aircraft that Donald Higgin was flying in has been previously recorded as a McDonnell F3H Demon in earlier reporting of this case, however VMA(AW)-542 did not operate the type – the confusion is however understandable due to the similarities in the US Navy aircraft type designations.
The analysts at the Air Technical Intelligence Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, wondered whether the mysterious delta-winged “craft” might have actually been a lenticular cloud, although they soon ruled this explanation out due to such formations not being seen at 22,000 feet and remaining visible for extended periods of time instead of rapidly disappearing, as the object Higgin witnessed had done. The encounter near Lake Elsinore became one of Project Blue Book’s many “Unidentified” cases (2), defying all attempts to explain it away.
(1) Sighting of Unidentified Aerial Object on 18 May 1954 over Oceanside, California, Special Inquiry, 18D 24-322, Spot Intelligence Report, 11th Naval District, San Diego, 10th June 1954.
(2) Form FTD (Foreign Technology Division) Sep 63 0-329 (TDE), Project Blue Book record card.
