Occurred: 2001-05-10 23:30 Local
Reported: 2001-05-11 00:00 Pacific
Duration: <1 minute
No of observers: 2

Location: Lawrence, KS, USA

Shape: Triangle
Characteristics: Lights on object, Aircraft nearby

Possible Explanation for 9/29/1999 Lawrence, KS Sighting

In your reported sightings database for Kansas there is a sighting in Lawrence, KS for 9/29/1999 at 21:37 PM (reported on 9/30/1999, with note as date changed from 2000) of a triangular craft flying over 23rd street near Checkers grocery store. My girlfriend and I saw something very similar last night (5/10/2001, at roughly 11:35 PM) from the Checkers parking lot that was definitely a jet aircraft (I think a commercial airliner). The aircraft was very low in the sky (larger than a quarter at arms length) and moving from the SW to the NE. It was moving rapidly relative to an observer on the ground, though not especially fast relative to another conventional aircraft in the sky, and due to the darkness of the sky and lighting pattern on the aircraft when viewed directly underneath it had a vague boomerang or triangular shape. However, as I was standing outside and could concentrate on watching the object (unlike the person who reported the 1999 sighting, who was driving in his car), I could barely make out an aircraft body and tail section bisecting the boomerang. The craft looked very strange when I first noticed it, as it had two unblinking(?) white lights (one on each wing) roughly 2/3 to 3/4 of the way back on each wing (measured from the body to the tip of the wing) and a single unblinking(?) red light on the body between the wings (thus the apparent V shape), but as before once I stared at it awhile I could make out the body of the aircraft. I heard no sound when it flew overhead, though as there was a thunderstorm some distance to the north (thus significant winds at the jet’s altitude) that’s not surprising. The jet was in sight for about 30 seconds or so (very rough time estimate). Lawrence is in the flight path of several commercial airlines stopping at MCI (Kansas City International) airport and has been for the past several years (as early as 1996 my friends and I used to sit out on the patio with cigarettes and beer and, to pass the evening hours, played a game where we would see who could see each jet first as it flew overhead from SW to NE). Between 8:00 PM and midnight dozens of jets cross over the town from SW to NE, though not usually at such a low altitude. I suspect that what the man and his wife saw on 9/29/1999 was a low altitude jet on approach to MCI.

Posted 2001-08-05

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