NUFORC Sighting 17797

Occurred: 1995-11-15 22:00 Local - Approximate
Reported: 2001-05-26 00:00 Pacific
Duration: 15 seconds
No of observers: 4

Location: La Puente, CA, USA

Shape: Other
Characteristics: Lights on object

Four large luminous disks arranged like the engines of a 4-engine plane flew north to south at low altitude and silently.

The date and time may be very inaccurate; the incident occurred several years ago here, where we've lived for 10 years, perhaps in November, since we were looking for meteors at the time of one of the showers. I didn't report it at the time, thinking that, somehow, it must be an airplane, but since then I've described it to several aviators and never found one who could make sense of it. I'm less interested in getting it into the record than in hearing a plausible explanation, if there is one, so I will accept a collect call. In case my wife or a child doesn't understand the call, and refuses, please try again. I'm at home evenings. My wife and two of my children saw the object as much as I did, but my wife is not a native speaker, while my children remember the incident but very little about it. We were sitting in the back yard. The sky was clear, except a small cloud formation in the north. The object flew in a straight line from north to south, at low altitude, apparently, and it was absolutely silent. I'm hard of hearing, but wife and kids said that it made no sound that they could detect. What we actually saw was four large luminous disks, all the same size, with an appearance similar to fluorescent lamps behind circular plastic shields. They were quite bright but not dazzling. Each was a good deal larger than the full moon. They were facing downward. They were in a formation as if they were in the same positions as the engines on a 4-engine airplane with a somewhat swept-back wing, and the distance from the leftmost disk to the rightmost was about the distance from tip of thumb to tip of little finger if the hand is held at arm's length with fingers spread as much as possible. We did not see a wing, body, or anything other than the disks, and I figured this was because we didn't have the time or presence of mind to see them, but I saw two of the disks shift slightly and quickly relative to each other - wife and kids said later that they didn't see that. This "airplane" flew at a go! od clip from north to south, about what I'd expect of a 4-engine airplane at that altitude; I should say, "all deliberate speed." There were no navigation lights, landing lights, or anything of that nature. I am sure it wasn't a blimp or dirigible, and I can't see it being a glider, since I have trouble believing that a glider could fly with large disks under its wings, and I'd think such a stunt would be extremely dangerous at night, even if it could fly. Besides, I've never seen a glider around here. I really would appreciate it if you could offer me an explanation for what we saw.

NUFORC Note:

Date is approximate. PD

Posted 2001-08-05