NUFORC Sighting 55971

Occurred: 2006-03-03 19:39 Local
Reported: 2007-03-27 20:34 Pacific
Duration: 18 minutes
No of observers: 2

Location: Ironton, MO, USA

Shape: Light
Characteristics: Emitted other objects, Aircraft nearby

Orange lights appearing and disappearing, again in Southeastern Missouri.

I have looked at alot of Missouri sightings in your files on these orange lights, and wonder what they are. Almost all of the sightings are fairly close to where we were on March 3 2007. Well, here's what happened.

Me (38) and my wife (38) went to Lake Hanna about 4 miles North of Ironton Missouri. This place is in St. Francois and Iron Counties. We went back to the far lake (Iron County) to see if we could see the lunar eclipse. But it was to cloudy and a little to late.

We preceded to look to the south-southwest towards Pilot Knob Mountain and Taum Sauk Mt. (highest elevation in state). The clouds started to clear and we could see a bright star (possibly Venus) and the moon peaking out from behind the clouds. It is very dark out and we were amazed by how much light the moon emitted.

Then, around 19:39 we noticed a orange-amber colored light appear in the sky in the same direction (S-SW} between the mountains, then another, and then another. The lights appeared to split in two and then disappear in same order they appeared. Me and my wife looked at each other and said what in the world did we just see? It almost seemed like they came out from over a cloud cover.

The sky had cleared pretty much and we were watching the sky in hope of seeing something else. It had been about ten minutes, 19:49 on the van clock. Then it started again a bit different. The lights were bigger this time and appeared to be spinning with other lights shooting out of them. One looked like it shot toward the ground. Another light looked like it split and was making a banked turn on an angle. These lights looked like the size of streetlights (dime size). We saw 4 of these lights appear and then disappear in same order. Lasting I would say around 10 to 15 seconds each.

It had been completely silent to this point when we started to hear fighter jets. We could not see them. The reason I know they were fighters is because I live a couple of miles from Scott AFB. Every kind of plane imaginable has flown over our house at all hours of the day. We go to the lake every weekend if possible.

We got out of the mini-van to see if we could see the planes. To this point we were watching out of the windows. I called a friend down at the lake to tell him to come out here and what we saw. Just as I got off the cel phone, it started again.

This time the lights were even bigger (quarter size). Five lights appeared in the sky one by one till all five were lit. Then disappearing in same order. With the lights being bigger you could see more detail, it looked to me like the orange-amber lights had little white lights spinning around them in the middle. I looked at the clock and it was 19:57.

We continued to watch the sky and saw four jets heading east in a single file line. That seemed strange that they were not flying in formation. Then we saw two more heading north and then two more way up there heading northeast. Eight jets we saw in total. Another strange thing was that the jets didn't have any flashing lights just solid red ones.

We watched the sky for about another half-hour and didn't see anymore lights. It almost seemed like the jets scared them off. I know that they say the full moon and lunar eclipes have strange effects on things. I don't know if it had anything to do with that but on the way back to the cabin we saw three deer walk right down the side of the road by our van it seemed like they had no fear. We looked at them and them at us almost to say "Did you see that too?" We have gone back the last three weekends to the same exact place hoping to see the lights again. We haven't seen a thing.

My wife and I have two children, married 16 years and never saw or believed in any kind of et stuff, but this really makes a person wonder. Me and my wife are both educated and working.

My wife told a Air Force Colonel what we saw and he said it was probably the Air Force flying manuevers. I don't know exactly what we saw and probably will never see anything like it again. I hope someone there can tell me what we saw.

My wife was able to get one picture on her cel phone and I will send it to you as soon as I can figure out how to get it on my computer or a picture of it.

Posted 2007-04-27

© 2023 National UFO Reporting Center. All rights reserved. Use or reproduction within any application without written consent is prohibited.