NUFORC Sighting 35968

Occurred: 2004-03-21 19:00 Local
Reported: 2004-04-03 10:51 Pacific
Duration: several minutes
No of observers: 1

Location: Columbus, OH, USA

Shape: Orb
Characteristics: Aircraft nearby

White orb silently passing over metropolitan area

I was grilling out as it became dark on the back of my home on the deck, something I do once a week, weather permitting. I'm familiar with the flight patterns in my locale, traffic to and from Columbus International Airport, hospital helicopters, and light aircraft to and from Don Scott Airfield. I'm an avid stargazer, and grew up in the Air Force and very familiar with aircraft. I spotted, what at first appeared to be an out of place bright headlight of an airliner approaching from the southwest, tracking to northeast headed directly toward me at approxiamately several thousand feet and in the wrong location and flight path for aircraft approaching Columbus International.

This object flew directly over me and was a sigle uniform white light, with no sound and no blinking lights. I saw no shape beyond the white orb. It moved slightly slower than an airliner, and had a barely discernable surge in it's movement, that I noticed as it passed overhead and away from me. As it passed northwest it actually crossed the path of a light aircraft moving SSE to NNE. I observed it until it passed from view. Intriguing. Couldn't get it out of my mind and decided it was worth posting here. Perhaps someone else has seen the same object.

FYI You're posting site is Linux browser unfriendly.

Posted 2004-04-09