NUFORC Sighting 145962

Occurred: 1971-06-30 01:00 Local - Approximate
Reported: 2019-05-03 02:47 Pacific
Duration: ~2 seconds
No of observers: 1

Location: Santa Barbara, CA, USA

Shape: Formation

Four hazy circular white lights flew over Hope Ranch at 1:00 a.m., June 1971.

In June, 1971, I was living with my family in Hope Ranch, below the La Cumbre Country Club hill. I woke up at 1:00 a.m., and looked out my bedroom window towards the hill and the starry night sky above the hill. That's when I saw what looked like four hazy white circular lights fly quickly over that area of night sky and out towards the ocean. If you hold your right arm and hand straight out in front of you, then tilt your arm and hand 30 degrees to the left (tuck your thumb in), the four hazy white circular lights were about the size (and location relative to each other) of your right hand fingertips. They were equally spaced in a perfect slanted line, like the right half of a V-shape (including the center point of the V being at the lower left). Their spacing didn't change. The lights flew by many times faster than any airplane or satellite I'd ever seen. Could not have been spotlights because they didn't act like typical spotlights (no moving around or twirling, no spotlight beams). The lights made no sound as they flew over. Saw no evidence of anything going on at the country club at that time. Using Google Earth, I've checked the lights' flight path relative to my former home's location and the location of the country club.

Conclusion: the lights were moving in a southeast direction, which means they were coming from the direction of Vandenberg AFB. They may have flown over Vandenberg AFB, considering how fast they were going. Have not seen anything like that since, as of 05/03/19.

NUFORC Note:

Witness indicates that the date of the sighting is approximate. PD

Posted 2019-05-09