NUFORC Sighting 173091

Occurred: 2022-11-16 17:30 Local
Reported: 2022-11-20 19:24 Pacific
Duration: <20 seconds
No of observers: 1

Location: Wilmington, NC, USA
Location details: Open land just north of 17th St., before it intersects with South College Rd.

Shape: Cigar

Observed a very slow moving unmarked cigar tube shaped craft moving in the air at very low altitude in straight East to West direction

While driving home in my truck eastbound on 17th St. approaching its intersection with South College Rd., I looked out my driver's window in a northerly direction. I observed a silvery-white cigar tube (rounded at "front", blunt at "tail") shaped craft that appeared to be lazily flying in a direct East to West direction. It was moving very slowly, perhaps 10-20 mph. The object had no visible stabilizers or wings. It had no visible propulsion system e.g. propeller(s), or exhaust heat plume The craft had no markings, except for what I thought might be part of a tail fin, which was black and white. Thinking about it, however, it probably was not a tail fin because of it's very low profile. The surface of the craft was smooth; there were no visible ribs. No landing gear was visible. In short, it simply looked like a slow moving silver-white cigar tube.
The object I observed was, as stated, moving very slowly through the air. The field in the background made it easier to see in profile. It held steady at a very low altitude and I observed no vertical or horizontal drift.
I looked at it for as long as I could, perhaps five seconds, then I looked back at the road, as this was rush hour. As soon as I could, perhaps seven seconds later, I looked back at the spot where I first observed the object, and it was gone. I looked to the right and left of the object, but it was gone, like it vanished or something.
There was a lone tree in the foreground situated where the object may have passed behind it, but it was moving so slowly, and was appreciably higher in the sky than the tree, that I would have been able to view part of the craft above the tree line. As it was, I looked directly at the tree and no part of the craft was visible. As there was no point of reference to judge its distance from me, I cannot give an approximation of its length.
I moved to Wilmington from Akron, OH, which is home to the "Spirit of Akron" blimp. I am very familiar with blimp features: the gondola, tethering cables, propeller engines, superstructure, windows and the "skin" of a blimp. This was no blimp. It more closely resembled a dirigible, but had no gondola, visible propulsion system, or markings of any kind. In short, I don't have any idea of what it was or how it could have disappeared so quickly, almost as if it utilized some kind of "cloaking" technology.

Posted 2022-12-22