NUFORC Sighting 18238

Occurred: 2001-06-25 21:30 Local
Reported: 2001-06-29 00:00 Pacific
Duration: 2 minutes
No of observers: 2

Location: Fort Myers, FL, USA

Shape: Cone
Characteristics: Lights on object, Aura or haze around object

My husband and were taking a swim in our community pool after dark when we looked up and saw a object that looked like an upside down cone with a light at the top. I said what is that? My husband said maybe its a UFO. The light at the top was very bright and seemed to shine down and fan out but only a short distance under the bright light. Then, as we watched, the object made a cloud around itself. At first the cloud was light and then became darker and darker until everything vanished. I put 9:30pm but I am not sure about the exact time. We swim a lot after dark and our development is close to an airport. We see planes going and coming. This was not anything we are familiar with. What really got our attention was that this object never moved. The light came on but did not shine all the way to the ground like a helicopter. It looked like an upside down cone with a bight light at the top. Then it made a cloud around itself, got darker and darker and disappeared. My husband and I went home!

NUFORC Note:

We believe that the cluster of reports that appear her for the evening of Monday, June 25, 2001, were caused by the launch of an ICBM by the U. S. Navy from the Kennedy Space Center at approximately 2115 hrs. (EDT). We are grateful to the FAA Military Liason office in Jacksonville, FL; the USAF 45th RANDS unit; and the Naval Operations and Testing Unit ("NOTU") for their assistance in our attempt to determine the cause of these reports. A similar test was conducted by the USS West Virginia submarine off the east coast of Florida on March 07, 1998, which caused similar reports. PD

Posted 2001-08-05