NUFORC Sighting 04855

Occurred: 1998-11-08 22:30 Local
Reported: 1998-11-16 00:00 Pacific
Duration: 3-5 seconds
No of observers: 1

Location: Los Angeles (Downtown), CA, USA

Shape: Fireball


a spectacular fireball moving horizontally from south to northeast.. approx. the same height as the regular helicopters and small aircraft.. suddenly and silently whizzed by my 12th floor condo. unit as I was sitting on the balcony. In full view.. above the high rise buildings in Downtown L.A. suddenly leaving a trail as if breaking up.. and then it completely disappeared as if it vaporized.

About this time last week (Sunday, November 8).. as I was sitting on my balcony enjoying my pipe 'n quiet time.. that a most unusual event took place. (By the way.. it's good Black Cavendish tobacco.. not pot! I work as a Counselor for one of the comprehensive LAUSD high schools. And unlike Bill.. I truly never have inhaled! My brothers smoked enough for all of us.) Anyway.. I live in the heart of the city of Los Angeles with the high rise buildings framing my living room view in an exquiste panoramic style. Having lived in Downtown for several years, now.. I have grown accostumed to the several single and twin engine airplanes as well as police, News media.. and corporate helicopters that often circle round both day and night.. the several city blocks that make up Downtown. Suddenly.. and speeding through the night sky from a southern horizontal direction.. (I would say whizzing.. but it was absolutely noiseless.. there was no sound..) came a ball of fire.. approximately 2 stories high and perfectly round.. as I compared this irregular sight with the high rise buildings. This object was heading somewhat north (northeast). It definitely was NOT not a shooting star nor comet.. heading in even the slightest downward vertical direction. It was not the Moon. It was not birds. It wasn't even Superman. My first, startled.. and only impression was: "Lord God?!" thinking that it could have crashed into any of these buildings just as in any of those recent blockbuster movies. This fireball appeared no further than 3/4th of a mile away.. and traveled not much more than a mile from my home. The entire event was always visable. Perfectly framed by two tall buildings.. the event ended seconds later.. perhaps, directly above the Union Station (I was a MetroLink communter to Chatsworth for an entire year.. and am aware of nearby locations). And though my estimation of height is terribly inaccurate.. I would guess.. it was the typical and same altitude that all small aircraft fly.. here in the Downtown area. Within split seconds.. this enormously silent ball was leaving a "skid mark" in its wake.. before it fully vaporized and disappeared. It was moving with the silence and speed of a missle.. but there was no explosion. Well, I sat for perhaps twenty minutes to a half hour in amazement and complete disbelief as I struggled to reconstruct and understand the all too brief and all too unusual sight. In addition, I was hoping to see if some police helicopter or airplane would be in the air.. checking out the strange anomaly. Beyond that.. I saw nothing.. and heard nothing reported in the News this entire week.

Posted 2002-11-20

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