Graham Bethune

Early Career & Military Service

Commander Graham E. Bethune graduated from Pensacola Academy of Aviation in 1943, entering a distinguished naval aviation career as a pilot. He held the rank of commander in the U.S. Navy and maintained top-secret security clearance throughout his service, flying sensitive military routes and transport missions across the Atlantic.

The Gandor Encounter – February 10, 1951

On February 10, 1951, Bethune was piloting Flight 124 (an R5D aircraft) from Keflavik, Iceland to Argentia, Newfoundland, approximately 300 miles offshore over the North Atlantic. The flight carried 31 passengers, crew members, and notably, a psychiatrist. Approximately 300 miles from Newfoundland, the crew observed an eerie glow on the ocean surface, initially appearing to be a city's lights below them.

The object was massive—estimated at least 300 feet in diameter—and was on a near-collision course with their aircraft. Bethune and his co-pilot made evasive maneuvers. All 31 passengers, crew, and the on-board psychiatrist witnessed the encounter. The object exhibited extraordinary performance: radar data later confirmed it accelerated to 1,800 miles per hour and climbed vertically 10,000 feet in a fraction of a second—far exceeding the capabilities of any known aircraft of the era.

Radar Confirmation

Critically, the sighting was independently verified by DEW Line (Distant Early Warning) ground radar at Goose Bay, Labrador air base, which tracked the object during the encounter. This radar corroboration gave the incident significant credibility within military and aviation circles. After landing, all witnesses were debriefed and interrogated by military personnel, then required to sign non-disclosure agreements.

Later Testimony & Disclosure

Despite the decades-long silence, Bethune eventually spoke openly about his experience. On May 9, 2001, he testified at the Project Disclosure press conference held in Washington, D.C., organized by Dr. Steven Greer and The Disclosure Project. Bethune stated: "We had 31 people on board and a psychiatrist—we all witnessed it." He published his account in the book UFO in the North Atlantic, and has participated in documentaries including UFO Chronicles: Pilot Encounters and Underground Bases (2013). His testimony remains one of the most credible multiple-witness military encounters of the early Cold War era, combining pilot expertise, military rank, top-secret clearance, radar confirmation, and consistent public testimony over decades.