Occurred: 1976-03-15 00:00 Local
Reported: 2001-12-18 12:36 Pacific
Duration: ~15 mins
No of observers: 0

Location: Pahokee, FL, USA

Shape: Oval
Characteristics: Lights on object, Aircraft nearby

Rapidly moving oject travels south, pause, goes north, and exits atmosphere, seen a shooting star.

an oval, not quite as yellow as a sodium lamp strteetlight, appearted on horizon north of Lake Okechobee(sp?), seen by witnesse from rooks Scool, North Andover, MA, who happened to be bird-watcing in Florida and were staying at a muicipal campsite on the south shore of the lake in the town of Pahokee. The object moved very, very quickly, and silently. Upon reaching the southern shore of the lake, the object paused. Using binoculars and a 20X-60X zoom telescope, a circle of perhaps fifteen bluish lights were visibe on the botton side of the object. Altitude is not known. It could have been a couple of tousand feet high, or much higher (though it would have een a massive craft at, say 10,000 feet). All was silent. The object then retreated, due north, and vanished into the far reaces of the sky, perhaps outside the atmosphere. ast glimpses were of an object resembling a "shooting star".

Observers noted aircraft activity to the east, elieved to originate from a US AFB. One oserver phoed the base, was told no aircraft had landed or taken off from that AFB in three weeks, and, no, they hadn't seen any bright ight in the sky, but they'd let us know if they did.

Observers included about ten students of a new england prep school, aged 14-17, and ton faculty member, a Ph.D. in Classics. Another faculty member and his wife missed the event, having been in their tent for the duration.

All observers were surprised, and many thought there must be a rational explanatio - Hollywood or something. all voiced the possibility, at least, that this was indeed an unusual aircraft.

I was one of the observers, then aged 17. i have only ever mentioned this event to a handfu of people, and am reporting this on December 18, 2001. I am merely interested in knowing if there were ever any other reports from the vicinity of Lake Okechobee (sorry again about spelling) on March 14 or 15, 1976. I would love to contact other observers (some of whose names I recall) to know what they think they saw that night, now over a quarter-century ago.



NUFORC Note:

We have received two other reports that are reminiscent of this one, but they turned out to be missile launches from submarines, apparently located in the waters to the east of Florida. Such launches are not necessarily announced either ahead of time, or even after the fact. One of the first possibilities that should be ruled out is a test launch of a ballistic missile. The Poseiden missiles, scheduled for deployment on the Trident submarines, may have been under testing during the mid-'70's, although this is just a guess. PD


Posted 2002-01-11

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