NUFORC Sighting 04279

Occurred: 1998-02-07 11:00 Local - Approximate
Reported: 1998-07-23 00:00 Pacific
Duration: 30 min
No of observers: 2

Location: Twenty Nine Palms, CA, USA

Shape: Other

Deltoid flying wing, dull golden brown bottom, dull off white top, small fuselage area, no propeller, no jets, no sound, wing tip fins, no tail fin, no markings.

First seen hovering, and gently circling very high directly overhead in Twentynine Palms. I was laying on the grass looking up. My 15 year old son saw everything I did. It was tan and wing shaped and seemed to go in and out of vision when looked at directly. Merely a curiosity at this point - it flew with some of the characteristics of a hawk, but was much too high and rigid. I observed it for about fifteen minutes in this holding pattern before it disappeared completely. I left the park and drove towards town. At the corner of Mesquite Springs Road and Twentynine Palms Highway I saw what I believe to be the same object at a very low altitude, maybe 50 feet, flying very slow southbound parallel to Mesquite Springs Road towards me. It was about 100 yards away at this time. I pulled off the road to get a better look because it was very unique looking. It looked kind of like a flying wing, with no tail and no propeller, with a slightly raised fuselage in the center. Golden tan on the bottom and off white on the top, dull with no reflection in the clear desert sun. No markings that I could see. I don't remember seeing any windows, but have an impression of a darker area near the front where you would expect windows. It was somewhat larger than a piper aircraft, and had pronounced fins on the wing tips. When I got out of my truck it was not readily in sight. From the slowness of it I expected to see it right above me. My son pointed it out traveling East above Twentynine Palms and climbing, already about 3 miles away. Very fast. I heard no sound from this craft whatsoever when it turned and accellerated. It passed out of sight in seconds. Visibility-unlimited.

Posted 1999-01-28