NUFORC Sighting 38796

Occurred: 2004-08-19 20:30 Local
Reported: 2004-08-22 06:43 Pacific
Duration: 10 m
No of observers: 2

Location: Des Moines, IA, USA

Shape: Triangle
Characteristics: Lights on object, Aircraft nearby

Lighted Triangle object hovers by major interstate

My wife, daughter and I were driving from Ankeny, Ia to Des Moines, Ia which is about a 12 mile drive. As soon as I got onto I-35s in Ankeny I could see 2 bright lights in the sky and a decent altitude. I thought it was an aircraft approaching the Ankeny airport which is a small facility that handles small planes. The object didn't move though as I kept traveling and it seemed to get lower the closer I got to it. When I was about a mile from the object I could finally make out a good description. 3 white lights formed in a triangle with a strange red light in the middle. As I passed it I looked up and could see the smooth red light moving back and forth. I turned around on the next exit and went back, but it was gone. I've never seen a tower in that area that looked like that and I've never seen a plane with that red light. My wife also noticed 3 cars stopped along the side of the road apparently not working. When I got back home I called my friend who was at the Iowa State Fair to tell hime to watch the skies. The reason being is that my "sighting" was very near the fairgrounds(3 miles). He told me the next day that the only thing he saw was the news helicopter that was filming overhead get escorted away by 2 military type helicopters.



Posted 2004-08-24

© 2023 National UFO Reporting Center. All rights reserved. Use or reproduction within any application without written consent is prohibited.