NUFORC Sighting 23927

Occurred: 2002-07-23 22:18 Local
Reported: 2002-07-26 15:46 Pacific
Duration: 2 Minutes
No of observers: 3

Location: Marina del Rey, CA, USA

Shape: Chevron
Characteristics: Lights on object

Multiple rotating red beacons attending main jet-like craft without evident connection to superstructure...

UFO REPORT: State Section Director--MUFON, Los Angeles--Only a few minutes prior to my neighbor's call, I'd gone to bed in the forward v-berth of my 30' Catalina sailboat on which I live aboard. When ((name deleted)) called me by phone with alarm in his voice, I was surprised to find him reporting a UFO to me (I voiced my doubt as to his sincerity because ((name deleted)) is a comedian who constantly uses my interest in UFO's as material for routine comedic "assassinations" of my character). He reiterated that he was not kidding and that I should come topside immediately for a look. I popped the hatch over my head and moved upward on deck to see something which made absolutely no sense whatsoever: Above me nearly 90 degrees but slightly north and heading directly overhead to the south-southwest was a brightly lit array of lights which looked like they were configured to an '"invisible" structure which all connected to what appeared to be a central jet aircraft. Flying at about 15 to 18 thousand feet, the atmospheric bounce seemed to illuminate the bottom of what looked like a typical jet, but that is where typical ended.

There is always jet noise from being very close to LAX.. this was the case as this object went over. There were other jets in the area. What sound I might have attributed to this object would not be accurate based on our proximity to Los Angeles airport.

To the right and left side of this central craft was a "formation" of what looked like rotating red navigational beacons. To the right were a series of three outboard beacons, the first one being the only one that was not rotating, constant, and red. Each beacon was equally spaced on either side of this craft. The distance from each beacon to one another was at least three full wingspans of the "central" craft?s main wingspan. That wingspan was approximately my thumbnail width at arm's length. Relative to the central craft, none of these rotating red lights moved independently of one another as if to be fixed to some "superstructure" and connected somehow to the central craft.

To the left of this craft and starting outboard at the same distance as the right side were approximately six of these beacons making the left "wing" appear much longer. At the farthest outboard "end" of the left side formation was a smaller white light trailing behind its respective leader as if it were being dragged by this leading edge beacon. This gave the impression that this "wing" was squared off at the left end. The distance from these two lights which formed this termination was about four fuselage lengths of the central craft. There did not appear to be any visible structure to the larger wing formed by these outer beacons, though, there was absolutely no variation in spacing visible which might have been caused by independent buffeting from wind turbulence or speed differences. These beacons and lights seemed "fixed" to a rigid but invisible framework.

Each red rotating beacon seemed larger than what it should have appeared to have been for its distance and did not seem to be "attached" to the bottom of anything like individual fighter aircraft or the like. They looked like they were just oversized flying red beacons, clear and bright. I don't remember anything significant about what should have been "normal" sized navigational lighting on the central craft.

If there was a "superstructure" to this formation, the sweep angle of the main wing from the central craft's leading edge was the source for any "attachment." This formation's angle might have been pitched slightly forward of the angle of the central craft wing's leading edge.

The reasoning for such a configuration made no sense. Any superstructure necessary to keep such a formation fully fixed in place as it appeared, would have been ripped apart by air turbulence from the speed this craft traveled at. On the other hand, if there was a much larger main craft partially "cloaked," then this would explain such an odd sighting. This was my first unexplainable sighting so it is significant for me The duration of our sighting was approximately 2 minutes until this "configuration" of lights and craft moved out of sight to our south southwest. That path would have taken it directly across the western end of the LAX active runways.

We watched these lights from our different positions in the marina about 30 yards from each other. Scotto was watching through binoculars with another attending witness, and mutual friend Larry.

Since that night MUFONLA has received at least two additional reports from different cities within LA County. These are Hawthorne and Silverlake. The witness in Silverlake took several seconds of Videotape. Our Director of Investigations will assign an independent investigator to these reports and I'm an artist so I will also illustrate what I witnessed as well.

Mark Hunziker State Section Director, MUFONLA



NUFORC Note:

We express our gratitude to Mark Hunziker for taking the time to share the information with NUFORC. PD


Posted 2002-07-30

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