NUFORC Sighting 16779

Occurred: 2001-03-11 09:45 Local
Reported: 2001-03-11 00:00 Pacific
Duration: 5-6 seconds

Location: Sarasota, FL, USA

Shape: Disk
Characteristics: Aircraft nearby

Two silent west bound objects gulf coast of Florida

I live in Bradenton, Florida, have been a letter carrier for thirty years and I am currently 53-years old. Growing up I was an Air Force dependent and spent three years in the US Army 1966-69 serving a year combat tour in Vietnam. On the morning of Sunday, March 11, 2001, my wife and I took four of our dogs to Sarasota, Florida, approximately 10 miles south of where we live, to walk them at a place called Robarts Arena. This is an area covering several acres and is where county fairs, rodeos, etc., are held. I was walking about 50 yards in front of my wife when I simply heard the noise of a small single engine plane overhead and looked up to observe it. When I first located the plane another object caught my eye. This object was light gray and circular. Seagulls are common here and I thought perhaps that it what I was looking at but it did not waver or move erratic as they do. It was obvious this object was moving in a direct line westward. I then noticed another object of the same description in what appeared to be about a quarter mile apart traveling same direction and speed as the first. Other than the small plane's engine, there were no other sounds of aircraft. There is an airport located in Sarasota and a McDill Air Force base located 50 miles north in Tampa. However, my years around all types of aircraft left me with the certainty that these two objects were not normal aircraft. When I turned to my wife and pointed to what I had seen, the objects were no longer in view. After several hours of thought, I felt it should be reported to this organization. There were no distinctive markings, lights, or other features; just to very light gray circular objects.

NUFORC Note:

We spoke via telephone with this witness, and found him to be a quite credible witness. His description of what he and his wife reportedly had seen was quite precise, and described in unambiguous, objective terms. We deem this to be a quite good report. PD

Posted 2001-03-16