NUFORC Sighting 02667

Occurred: 1997-08-03 23:30 Local
Reported: 1997-08-19 00:00 Pacific
Duration: 5 minutes
No of observers: 2

Location: Sand Springs (15-20mi. E/SE of), MT, USA

Shape: Other


Summary : The object flew almost like a butterfly, very high up (30-40K+), blinking blue and red in four distinct spots as it flew from side to side along it's E to W flight path.

The object flew rather slowly, at a fairly high altitude (it appeared higher than the passenger jets I had seen earlier that night). It veered, in a wavering motion as if seeing it through heat, from side to side along its flight path, growing brighter then going dim or off at the apex of its pendular movement, then reappearing to the other side of its flight path as it grew bright again. The movement along the path was reminiscent of a butterfly's erratic path, but this wasn't erratic. The four light panels/spots were also similar to a butterfly's in that the forward two were slightly larger or brighter than the rear two. The object came from the east, continued west, and eventually veered to the N/NW. This occured on a completely cloudless night at approximately 2335. The sighting only lasted as long as it took the object to pass. The speed required to continually make the turns it was making was what really caught my eye as not being any typical craft. No flying object in my experience flies or lights up like that one did. over; perhaps 5 minutes at most. My best guess as to its velocity would place it between 200-300kts. I am a military intelligence specialist and have worked in the aerial reconnaissance field for nearly 3 years.

Posted 2001-08-05

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