NUFORC Sighting 02942

Occurred: 1997-09-19 05:40 Local
Reported: 1997-12-02 00:00 Pacific
Duration: 3-4 minutes
No of observers: 0

Location: Orland Park, IL, USA

Shape: Rectangle


Summary : When pulling out of my driveway headed north I noticed a stationary bright white light above the west horizon which suddenly sped off traveling north. I turned east off the main road since there was another vehicle behind me in order to view the object. I was putting my car window down when I suddenly saw an aircraft to the left and above me. It measured four to five palm breadths and was a metallic bronze color with a narrow nose/head and a short fan shaped tail. It was relatively flat with a rectangular shape with two rows of red lights and two rows of blue lights on each side and a single row of red or blue lights on the tail. It passed over in five to six seconds and no engine sound was heard.

When pulling out of my driveway on 09/19/97 to go to work, I turned north onto West Ave. and stopped at the stop sign. A bright white stationary light caught my eye which I thought was an airplane against the west horizon. I remained stopped at the sign because the light was so bright. As I watched it, it appeared to stop and start very quickly several times. I pulled away from the stop sign when I saw another vehicle behind me only to see the object speed off faster than any plane goes traveling in the same direction as my car. To view it better I decided to turn off the main road in an east direction, put my car in park, shut off the radio and was putting my automatic window down when I suddenly saw an aircraft to the left of my car and above me. Thinking this was the bright object I had seen, it would have been necessary for it to have made a sharp 45 degree angle in order for me to have seen it so quickly. It scared me tremendously and I remember reminding myself that there were other vehicles on the road at this time and I must not be the only one seeing this. With my car window down I was looking out to see the bright light but instead saw an aircraft that seemed unusual, rectangular in shape, large, ( it would have taken four to five palm breadths to cover the length) but not wide, (it would have taken one=half a palm breadths to cover the width) It was a metallic bronze/chocolate color with a narrow head and fan shaped horizontal small tail compared to the large rectangular body. No white light was visible and there was no sound made by the craft. It seemed to move slowly above me taking five to six seconds to pass and was not visible in the eastern horizon afterwards, however the area is densley populated with homes and large trees. I was afraid it was some type of military aircraft that had gotten off course and flying so low, I thought it would crash into the surrounding homes. Two rows of eight to twelve lights which were circular and not revolving or shining a beam were on each side of the craft. Each row was single in color and one row was red and the other blue but I cannot remember the sequence of the color. The tail also had a row of either red or blue lights but were perpendicular to the craft and only five or six circular non-beaming lights. The body of the craft was wider than the sides and angled down like a single step to the edges. The lights were beneath each edge although I could not see the entire left edge of the craft. After it passed, I remember sitting in my car for several seconds wondering what it was and what I should do. Not wanting to be late for work, I continued east on the side street to LaGrange Road thinking any aircraft that big and that low I would be able to see when I was past the trees and houses. However, it was no where to be seen. I went to work and returned home at approximately 1600 when I contacted the Federal Aviation Agency only to be told that most of their personnel had left for the day and they had no reports of unusual aircraft that day. I contacted our local newspaper - The Daily Southtown - and asked about any reportings. They informed me they got their information from the local police and they had received none. Not wanting any to think I was strange, I tried to find somewhere to report this without telling the police. The local phone numbers for the UFO agency were disconnected. Although I am reminded daily of the event, only today 12/02/97 did I find the phone number and web site for the National UFO Reporting Center due to a report in the Daily Southtown about another local sighting of unusual lights two days ago. I would like for someone to explain that what I saw was an experimental military aircraft or I would think perhaps others on their way to work may have seen the same thing I did.

Posted 1998-06-02

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