NUFORC Sighting 51304

Occurred: 2006-07-11 08:10 Local
Reported: 2006-07-11 09:48 Pacific
Duration: 5 minutes
No of observers: 1

Location: Gila Indian Reservation & S. Chandler, Ocotillo area, AZ, USA

Shape: Changing

Large, fast, transitory, reflective object seen over Phoenix southest east valley suburb or Gila Indian Reservation

Driving eastbound on Queen Creek road, east of the I10 freeway but west of Price, the object was visible initially in the east in the sky probably 10-20 thousand feet altitude between San Tan Mountain and the Intel factory facility (both visible landmarks from the vantagepoint) which could have placed it somewhere over south Chandler, south Gilbert or the Gila Indian reservation.

There were few or no clouds at least in this area of the sky and the sunlight was very bright - the object initially had a mirror-like display and was extraordinarily transitory. If one imagines a vaguely metalic, oblong sphere, where the sunlight reflected on it in such a way as to make a "Nike" like swoosh around the edge of it, that would be a fair enough approximation. The object remained visibile initially only long enough to see the reflection-like swoosh glisten around the edge, then seemed to disappear from sight.

Judging from the size of airplanes at that distance and height, the object would have been huge for anything that flies. My guess is that you could stack up ten or more 747s to get the height and if it was genuinely spherical you wouldn't still approach the volume. The only thing I am accustomed to seeing in the sky of that size would be a small cloud.

About 1-2 minutes later, from the vantagepoint of the southbound Price curve intersecting into Dobson, another whitish object (the same?) was similarly briefly visible overhead, this time much higher (35-50 thousand feet depending on the actual size of the object) and characteristically smaller to sight. It had the look of making an upwards arc, in a corkscrew-like motion - that this motion could be perceived in such a short time - no more than a few seconds - would suggest extraordinary speed. It gave the impression that it was moving so fast that to take one's eyes off of it even for an instant (i.e.: to pay attention to traffic), one would lose track of it - and in fact that happened. Assuming both of these were the same object, the first view was from the side while the second was more from below and in the second view it had a rather boxy quality.

Despite scanning the sky, no further sightings were made.

I live in the Phoenix valley and am familiar with cloud types and formations and their general altitudes, so on a clear day like today I believe I can make reasonably accurate estimations of aerial objects' altitudes.

Posted 2006-07-16