NUFORC Sighting 18361

Occurred: 2001-07-07 16:00 Local
Reported: 2001-07-10 00:00 Pacific
Duration: 10 secs
No of observers: 3

Location: Bartlesville, OK, USA

Shape: Circle
Characteristics: Aircraft nearby

White circular object, apache attack helicopter both disappear after what seems to be 'dogfight'

a beautiful clear july afternoon. my wife, myself, and our 7 year old daughter were driving west on adams boulevard (hwy 60). ahead and on the right side of the highway, there is a tree lined horizon. this treeline was at the time approximately between 1/8 and 1/4 mile away. above the treeline at about 30° right of dead-ahead, and about 1/8 mile past the treeline, i saw a bright -but not glowing- white circular craft. it was perfectly circular, i saw no windows or anything else, just the white solid object. after watching it for approximately 5 seconds, there came in from below and from the left at a very steep angle a helicopter approaching the object at a rapid rate of speed, banking very sharply almost as if to avoid a collision. i am familiar with all of our local lifeflight copters and also with military craft. the thought that immediately entered my mind was "that's an apache attack helicopter" ...now at this very instant, my 7 yo daughter, riding in the back seat says "WHAT the HECK was THAT dad???" ....all this happening almost simultaneously. i said i didn't know what it was. but that i did know that the helicopter was the type resembling an apache. my daughter didn't see the helicopter as it disappeared as soon as the steep bank maneuver was over. my wife wasn't looking where we were so she saw nothing, but she was witness to our alarm and shock/excitement at the moment. i turned to look at my daughter for a split second only since i was driving. in the time i turned back around i had passed the treeline that had been ahead of me. the white object and the helicopter were no where to be seen. it sounds as if we were in the country but we weren't.. approximately 1/4 mile behind us was the heart of downtown of a fairly large corporate city. just ahead of maybe 1/2 mile away is a large research and development complex , belonging to Phillips Petroleum. both of the craft seemed to me to be about 300-400 feet in altitude. the white craft, seeming to be on the same vertical plane as! the hel icopter, seemed to be about half the size of the helicopter.

Posted 2001-08-05