NUFORC Sighting 25930

Occurred: 2002-10-21 12:30 Local
Reported: 2002-11-03 19:10 Pacific
Duration: 8 seconds
No of observers: 2

Location: Albany, NY, USA

Shape: Other
Characteristics: Aura or haze around object, Left a trail, Aircraft nearby

I saw the object reported by FOX-23 from my place of employment

A co-worker and I were outside the building we work taking lunch. We work on the State Campus which is located southeast of the Albany International Airport but within aircraft takeoff and landing patterns. We were checking out the sky, discussing how unusual it looked with the different kinds of clouds. Suddenly from the west we notice something bulleting across the sky. It had a very narrow vapor trail which was so thin that I briefly thought if the puffy clouds were cotton balls it would pull them together like thread. It was also strange in the fact that the trail failed to scallop like the vapor trails of the jets we saw only moments before. The object made no noise.

As it shot more to the northeast it was going to be blocked by the corner of my building. I went down the steps just in time to catch a glimpse of the object. It appeared to be football in shape only a bit longer and slightly deflated, with at least one fin on the top and bottom. Its color looked dark metallic gray. The air around it was a bit funny; gave the appearance it was traveling in a fuzzy bubble.

Since the military has been active in our area since 9/11, I thought maybe it was something new they were flying so I didn't report the sighting. I missed the orginal FOX report but my co-worker told me about it the next day. When I didn't see any followup a week later I wrote FOX email info line to make an inquiry and report that we had seen the object. To date, I haven't heard anything from them.

While I work in a civilian capacity now, my background is law enforcement. I was a police/peace officer/investigator for 25 years prior to my current appointment.

((ADDENDUM FROM WITNESS))

Dear Mr. Davenport:

Thank you for your quick response. While my report stays the same in every other detail, I failed to check a calender when submiting the date of our sighting and it wasn't the 20th. My co-worker and I work Monday-Friday. Ours took place during the week, the day of the evening report of the Oct 20 object by FOX to the public.

I do know that for sure as my co-worker came in the next day all excited because he had heard the report of the original object on the news the night before. He said that FOX had done a report on the object we saw (last time I listen to him). I didn't see the broadcast and couldn't find anything on it until I found your site yesterday (I was using the wrong search word on FOX). I apologize for this inaccuracy. However, it does not change the facts that I have otherwise reported.

You asked if the object made any maneuvers while we watched it. No. It was the vapor trail that first drew our attention to the object shooting like a bullet across the sky. It wasn't until I ran down the steps and the object changed directions (from traveling due east to NE) that I was finally able to briefly get the shape.

Since we couldn't really see it before and I now could, I had the impression that it tipped a little and I was looking more towards the top of the object rather than the side. It was just so fast I only got a glimpse. The whole experience was almost surreal in that something that big should have made some sort of a sound but didn't. Yet the vapor trail and its funny, fuzzy bubble around it told me it was really high up and something "different".

I have been thinking about its vapor trail and the way jet vapor trails look. This object appeared to be more seering the atmosphere than putting out exhaust..

You ask if what I saw was like what the reporter filmed. His object appears to look more like a walking stick. Ours was a bit fatter and the fins a bit broader. It looked as though the reporter's object devoured half of itself, just that much fatter.

Ever since 9/11 when the hijacked plane turned right over us we have been sky watchers. I have a window seat at work and can tell when something is going on at the airport, note the flight pattern changes and every type of plane that takes off and lands, including the military. ((Sentence deleted.)). This was something I had never seen before.

If I am following your instructions correctly on the degrees, it would be about 200 (coming from the W to NE).

I appreciate your taking the personal info out of my narrative, as I know my ((deleted)) and my supervisor would not appreciate the FBI coming to see me. I work for ((deleted)) and we always have enough of things happening in the building without my causing a commotion over something like this. My ((deleted)) would ((deleted)) me...

Again, please forgive me for not doing a more thorough job in determing the accurate date. I am usually better than that..

Thanks. ((name deleted))

((END ADDENDUM))

NUFORC Note:

The object photographed by the FOX 23 cameraman was visible for approximately 11 frames of video, or about one-third of a second. We would be surprised if people witnessed the same object with the naked eye, although the object may have slowed at some point during its presence in the airspace over Albany, NY. PD

Posted 2002-11-04