NUFORC Sighting 173645

Occurred: 1997-06-03 19:00 Local - Approximate
Reported: 2022-12-30 11:32 Pacific
Duration: 10-15 minutes
No of observers: 3

Location: New York, NY, USA
Location details: 9th Avenue at 54th St. Manhattan

Shape: Triangle
Characteristics: Lights on object

Bright light 2.5 miles away seen zigzagging, stopping and changing direction on a dime, eventually flew right over us going north.

I was working, doing homeless outreach in a van with my work partner. We were stuck in traffic on 9th Avenue. It was late spring, early summer and still light out at around 6:30-7pm. We simultaneously spotted a very bright light in the distance, about 2.5 miles south of us, as we had a clear view straight down to lower Manhattan. This light was zigzagging, in the sky, low on the horizon. It would suddenly stop and hover, other times just going back and forth like a ping pong ball, chasing direction, left to right. My partner was a Vietnam veteran and he, like me, was totally awe struck as we asked what the hell could that be? No modern aircraft either of us was aware of could perform such maneuvers. And the light was so bright. Suddenly, the lights started to fly in our direction. We were barely moving in crawling traffic and were able to observe as it approached. In what seemed a very short time, it was there, just overhead, to our right. Amazed, we stuck our heads out our respective windows as it glided silently over us going north. Next to me, on my right (I was not driving) was a red jeep, top down. The woman passenger was also looking at the triangle, laughing and half hysterical, her face showing awe as we briefly acknowledged what we were seeing. It was huge. The lights were like none I've seen or heard described anywhere. There were two or three rows of round, white lights in the shape of the V underneath, in the middle was a bigger round while light. The lights, though bright did not give off a glare. The color of the craft, was a matte gray. The craft was gliding, not going very fast as it passed over us. It was at the height of a low flying airplane. I can't estimate feet. Buildings in this neighborhood are low, five to six stories. The craft was much higher than that.

To say we were stunned is to put it mildly. We told our supervisor at the end of our shift. He was skeptical saying it was probably a helicopter or a kite. We didn't really talk about it again after that. I told some friends whom I knew wouldn't doubt me, but that was it. I don't think I even told my parents or siblings. I searched the news for days after this happened but never saw anything about it, in spite of it certainly having been observed by all the people stuck in traffic with us that day.

I had no idea where to report this in 1997. A few years later, around 2003, I think, I reported it to MUFON to get it on record somewhere.

My background, I'm a New Yorker, Manhattanite, who's worked primarily in social work, initially with kids, later doing street homeless outreach and case management from 1991 to 2008. I am now retired. The only thing I know about my partner is that he's a Vietnam veteran who worked with me for many years.

Posted 2023-03-06