Occurred: 2008-09-16 18:30 Local
Reported: 2008-09-17 14:17 Pacific
Duration: 2-3 sec.
No of observers: 1

Location: Los Angeles (150-200 mi. e or ne of), CA, USA

Shape: Sphere


Small metallic copper object 1-2 mi. above ground traveling w/sw-e/ne (viewed from L.A.-bound 757)

Last night (September 16, 2008), I was flying on Northwest Flight #303 from Minneapolis to Los Angeles, seated in a window seat in the left rear of the Boeing 757. The atmospheric condition was partly cloudy. We had already started our descent and were probably about 3-4 miles up.

At approximately 18:30, about 30 minutes before we landed at LAX, I spotted a spherical metallic-looking object moving at approximately 150-400 mph either west-east or sw-ne about 1-2 miles above the ground, moving the exact opposite direction of the plane about a half mile to the south. It was about the size of a golf ball from about 100 yards. ((sic--100 feet.) I first spotted it at about 11:00 (direction, not time), and I was only able to view it for about 2-3 seconds before it disappeared from view. I didn’t notice any lights on the object, but it was reflecting the sun which was low in the wsw which caused it to appear bright copper. I didn’t notice any other physical features such as wings or a tail, and it didn’t leave an exhaust stream.

I’m 52 years old, and have been an amateur astronomer since I was a young child. In my life, I’ve seen just about anything you can think of in the sky, but never before last night have I ever seen an object that I could not identify. I’ve probably made over 40 cross-country flights, and am used to seeing planes and helicopters, but the object I saw last night didn’t resemble anything I’ve ever seen.

Maybe it has a non-UFO explanation, but I decided to post the incident anyhow in hopes that someone else may have seen the object.


((ADDENDUM FROM SOURCE OF REPORT))

This is a correction to my previous report submitted 09/17/08 at 14:17:09.

When I described the size of the object, it should have read: It was about the size of a golf ball from about 100 feet.

(In my original submittal, I stated 100 yards.)

Posted 2008-10-31

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