NUFORC Sighting 176678

Occurred: 2023-07-07 21:30 Local
Reported: 2023-07-10 16:19 Pacific
Duration: 20-30 minutes
No of observers: 1

Location: Lincoln, CA, USA
Location details: Observed six separate 4 light linear clusters appear ground level climb & descend, see note

Shape: Other
Characteristics: Lights on object, Aircraft nearby, Landed

6 different 4 horizontal light objects leaving silo/bldg area 3 traveled N. & turning back descending 3 going S. slowly rising.

About 9:30pm on July 7, 2023 I was looking out my bedroom patio door (north) and noticed an odd set of lights near a tower/silo/building off to my west (10 o’clock) the building normally has red flashing clearance lights at the top and is something I’m used to seeing at night. I believe it’s an agricultural area and the structure is at least fifteen plus miles away, it is north of Sacramento International Airport and I would say east of the Sacramento River/Hwy 99.
The lights I was observing were positioned horizontally, four of them. I didn’t notice any defined shape just the four horizontal lights. When I first saw them they appeared to either be coming out of the south side of the tower/silo/building or from behind it. They slowly turned east, towards my location then north slowly gaining altitude, traveled north for what I estimate was maybe 15 miles towards Marysville/Yuba City/Beale A.F. Base and guessing to about 2000 feet max altitude. They slowly turned west then back south back towards the tower and slowly lost altitude until they were out of site behind trees?
I was curious and kept watching and there were two more of the same lights exit the tower area and take the same path, neither of the second two went as far north but both turned west with one again turning south and disappearing on descent as the first, this one was closer to the tower location than the first. The other one proceeded west and went out of site. On these two objects It appeared that as the four lights flashed you could notice flashes of blue/green lights at the right side on these two objects heading north.
During this duration of time three other, four light objects appeared to exit the building area and went south on slow climbs till out of my line of site due to the roof line of my home.
The tower itself normally has two red lights at night but when this started it appeared to have four or five. When the last of the lights left the building it was back to what appeared to be two red ones.
My back yard/patio area faces north and I have a clear view east and west to the Sierras and Coast Mountain ranges. During the day when clear you can see distant tree lines and the Sutter Buttes. I regularly see jet liners coming in from the east and making a slow turn south for landing at Sacramento International Airport.
During the time I viewed the lights I think there were maybe three or four flights that came into Sacto in their normal pattern. I went to bed but got up several times and at one point I noticed a couple of airliners on approach to Sacto airport but they had changed their flight pattern and were coming in straight from the North.
In the four years we have lived here I don’t recall seeing them come in from that direction.

Posted 2023-07-29