NUFORC Sighting 05144

Occurred: 1973-06-15 19:30 Local - Approximate
Reported: 1998-12-15 00:00 Pacific
Duration: 1-2 minutes
No of observers: 1

Location: Tampa, FL, USA

Shape: Cigar

Whilewatching a friend of mine go-karting, I noticed a metallic cigar-shaped craft, several hundred feet in length move slowly over the south Tampa area.

I was with watching a friend of mine go-karting at an amusement park that used to be located on Dale Mabry Avenue south of the former CSX railroad bridge. It was early evening, and as I watched him turn a lap I noticed what I first thought to be a KC-135 heading to the north over the typical Mac Dill AFB runway path. The object made a gentle wooshing sound, was approximately 300-500 feet in length, and moved slowly (est. 25-50 mph) at an altitude of approximately 1,000'. I pointed to the object hoping my friend would see it, but he was enjoying his go-kart ride and did'nt look. The metallic object literally seemed to vanish as it slowly continued northward. I am very familiar with aircraft, military, commercial, private, and balloons-- this was not any of them.

Posted 1999-01-28