NUFORC Sighting 09604

Occurred: 1999-08-31 23:30 Local
Reported: 1999-09-07 00:00 Pacific
Duration: 10 minutes
No of observers: 70

Location: Matthews, NC, USA

Shape: Chevron
Characteristics: Electrical or magnetic effects

A large chevron black craft floated over a park and parking lot. The craft made absolutely no noise.

During the week of August 30, 1999, my friend Laura and I were visiting Matthews, NC, a suburb ten miles south east of Charlotte NC. (We’re from Spartanburg, SC, approximately 60 miles south. I (36 year old white male) have worked in law enforcement for fifteen years and Laura (30 year old while female) has been a school teacher for eight years.) On Tuesday August 31, we attended an outdoor concert in a park located approximately three miles east of Matthews. As the concert ended, around 2330 hours, Laura and I headed toward the parking lot with approximately thirty other people. We were between the park and parking lot, in a wooded walkway area, when all the lights – in the park, wooded area, and parking lot – went out. Everyone stopped in their place to let our eyes adjust to the darkness and someone said something about a power failure. I then noticed something – like a shadow – over my shoulder. (The sky was clear with a quarter moon. The moon, however, was not high in the sky yet.) I turned and looked directly up. Floating above us, approximately 150 feet up, was a huge, black craft. The two front sides of the craft were triangular, but the back side was wing shaped. The craft was at least 100 yards wide (wing tip to wing tip) and 50 to 60 yards long (front to back). (All of these measurements are based upon the height of the trees and light poles we saw the craft pass over). I said loudly enough to make sure everyone heard me, "Look up.” As everyone looked up, there was a group gasp. This craft FLOATED above us (from east to west) and out over the parking lot. The craft made absolutely NO sound. There were no lights on or around the craft – it was completely black. A man standing in front of us had a video camera. He attempted to video the craft but his battery had died. I grabbed Laura’s hand and moved quickly into the parking lot to get a better look and the others followed us. The craft traveled over the lot and then turned north, away from Matthews and Charlotte. As the craft moved away, all ! the ligh ts in the lot came back on and we could no longer see the craft. (The craft was visible for approximately 15 minutes). I grabbed Laura’s hand again and pulled her toward the car. She did not want to moved and I then realized she was crying. She asked where we were going and I said I wanted to follow the craft. I finally got her into the car. As I looked back to the other people, I saw that most of them seemed to be very upset. Some, including men, were also crying. I attempted to follow the craft in the car, but not being familiar with the area, quickly became lost. We never saw the craft again. I found my way back to the parking lot. Now there were 70 to 80 people in the lot. (Some of the others had been elsewhere in the park when the craft went over and had followed it’s direction to the lot.) Everyone seemed calm again. The man with the video camera now found it working again. Another man called two radio stations and reported what had happened. The radio people listened politely but didn’t seem too concerned. The man then called a local television station. When the television person heard what the call was about, she hung up. A group of us stayed around and talked for a while and then went our own ways. I asked Laura if the craft had scared her enough to make her cry. She stated she wasn’t scared but felt very emotional. She also couldn’t understand why I wanted to chase the “thing.” This was the first time either Laura or I had seen any sort of strange craft. She was never interested in UFOs before but I always have been. The next morning we checked the news – television, radio, and newspapers – but there was no mention whatsoever of this event.

Posted 1999-09-12