NUFORC Sighting 179749

Occurred: 2023-12-14 17:40 Local
Reported: 2023-12-17 19:17 Pacific
Duration: Roughly 7-10 minutes
No of observers: 1 - Pilot - Military

Location: Fingerville, SC, USA
Location details: Maybe just North of Fingerville, SC

Shape: Light
Color: 3500K Color chart
Estimated Size: It was twilight, a bright light so I couldn't say
Viewed From: Land
Direction from Viewer: NE 020 at my 2 o'clock relative position
Angle of Elevation: 15
Closest Distance: 10-15 miles
Characteristics: Lights on object

Light was observed, likely stationary then it just extinguished and disappeared

I was a passenger with my wife traveling by car to see "The Christmas House" in Inman, SC on Dec 14. I am a retired 29 year Navy vet with heavy aviation background. It was just before official twilight time. As we were heading North on Compton Bridge Rd I noticed off to my right at about 030, my 1330 o'clock relative position, a single light in the sky and roughly 15 degrees above the horizon. Being a licensed pilot and having spent much time flying and in and around airplanes and airports I thought it was just a aircraft landing light and likely heading to either GSP or GMU airports near Greenville, SC. I didn't give it much thought but glanced at it every 20-30 seconds expecting it to likely cross my path overhead. It didn't seem to be changing position or getting any closer after a few minutes so I started to think that it might be further away than I had thought it to be and coming straight at me. I started to watch it for longer periods of time to try and determine a relative motion. I also noticed that the "landing" light appeared to be larger than a normal general aviation aircraft landing light would look like at night from 10-15 miles out. I looked away for a couple of seconds to say something to my wife. As I returned to watching the "aircraft" the light went out within a few seconds after. No filament fade out, it just instantaneously vanished. It was then that I noticed no strobe or position lighting remaining at all. This was a totally clear night. All aircraft have to have their lights on especially at night and no pilot would ever purposefully turn off all of their lights in the air! I must have uttered a comment to my self. The wife asked me what's wrong and I said that the "aircraft" I was just watching vanished. Even though there was a small amount of background twilight left I could not discern any solid shape where the light had been. I kept looking but no movement, shape or lights ever reappeared. I'll have to chalk this one up as my second UFO observation, my first being around 1975 with 3 of my friends. That one made the local newspaper. We were interviewed about it.

Posted 2023-12-20