NUFORC Sighting 71486

Occurred: 2009-08-04 20:57 Local
Reported: 2009-08-04 20:23 Pacific
Duration: 2 minutes
No of observers: 2

Location: Albuquerque, NM, USA

Shape: Other
Characteristics: Lights on object, Changed Color, Aircraft nearby

Blue/Green Glowing Figure 8 shape sighted in North East Albuquerque - followed by possible Military Aircraft

I was out walking my dogs with my wife and noticed a low flying air plane (cross streets are Union St NE and Eddy in Northeast Albuquerque) at 8:57 pm. Height was under 1000 ft. Plane possibly looked like a C-130 (it was getting dark so it is hard to tell exact aircraft). The plane was flying north along the east side of the Sandia Mountains. The reason I looked up is because I could hear the engines as it was pretty loud and low flying (planes do not typically fly this close to the ground as the airport / Kirtland AFB is about 15 miles to the south.

After looking at the plane, noticed a weird object in front of the plane. The plane appeared to be following or chasing the strange object. What the object appeared as was a figure 8 pattern with flashing blue/green lights moving on the outside of the figure 8. The figure 8 object actually looked like an 8 on its side. I could not tell if the space between the outline of the figure 8 was solid as it was getting dark. I could just notice the blue/green lights circling around the figure 8 pattern.

I spent 12 years in the USAF and have been around aircraft for years. I also work on Kirtland AFB and am familiar with flight characteristics and aircraft types. The only thing that I would even guess this could be is an Osprey aircraft (which they have at Kirtland AFB in Albuquerque) due to the large propellers. Unfortunately, I have never seen the propellers radiate a blue/green light in the strange pattern. I would also not understand why it appeared to be followed by a C-130 size aircraft.

Posted 2009-08-05