NUFORC Sighting 31693

Occurred: 2003-08-16 05:06 Local
Reported: 2003-09-21 14:21 Pacific
Duration: 3-4 minutes
No of observers: 1

Location: Sacramento, CA, USA

Shape: Chevron
Characteristics: Lights on object

Silent "flying wing" low and slow over McClellan AFB.

I am a truck driver. Circa 0500 on Saturday 16 August 2003 I was picking up a loaded trailer from a warehouse at McClellan AFB / Industrial Park in northeast Sacramento, California. At the time it was still dark, there were no other persons or traffic observed inside McClellan, and the industrial parking lot area where this happened was very well lit.

I had picked up my load and was driving out slowly when I noticed an unexpected light formation in my left mirror. I watched for a short time. I am accustomed to commercial airline traffic from Sacramento International, and the now sparse military traffic into and over McClellan. This one caught my attention because it was on the wrong course for normal traffic out of SAC, the wrong time of day for traffic into McClellan, and too low and slow and too bright. It was unusual enough that I stopped the truck, shut down the engine, and got out to have a look.

The aircraft or UFO approached from NW, bearing est. 315 degrees, directly for McClellan. This is east and north of normal flight paths for departing traffic out of SAC. It was also too low for departing SAC traffic, and not climbing. As it approached, I could see that it was low, est. altitude no more than 1,000-1,500 feet, and slow, est. speed about 100 kts. It approached and made a button-hook turn south, then east, then est. due north, over the south part of McClellan, with a turn radius est. 1/2 mile, then departed est. due north until it was out of sight without climbing.

While over McClellan it was for approximately 30 seconds sufficiently well lit by the parking lot lighting to get a good clear look. The AC/UFO was a flying wing - no fuselage, no empennage. The wings were swept at an angle of 90 degrees at the apex, and very long, est. 200-300 feet, with a high aspect ratio. Near the tip of each wing were two very bright white lights shining directly down, and at the apex were two very bright white lights shining directly down, one of each pair near the leading edge, one near the trailing edge. There were no position lights visible (green and red on right and left wing tips, respectively, red and white at tail - since there was no tail), which I believe conclusively proves that this was not an "ordinary" AC, since all are required to display position lights at all times (except military ops in restricted airspace). There were no strobe lights, and the visible lights were not landing lights, since they pointed straight down, not forward.

There was enough ambient light from the very bright parking lot industrial lighting, and the AC/UFO was low enough, that the underside of the wings could be clearly seen to be either white, or light gray or light blue.

The AC/UFO flew nearly directly overhead, at a straightline distance of no more than est. 1,500 feet from where I stood, and was silent - or at least inaudible at 1,500 feet. No engine noise of any kind. Definitely not a helicopter! My hearing is very good, my vision is 20/15 as of my last physical, June 2003. Total time of observation est. 3-4 minutes. When I got back in the truck the clock time was 0506.

((FOLLOW UP COMMUNICATION FROM WITNESS))

Peter

Didn't share with anyone there, just several friends. McClellan is decomissioned and is now an industrial park, the only remaining military activity is a clinic and civilian contractor aircraft maintenance. Nobody else around as far as I could tell while I was there.

It was an interesting siting. I have a private pilot's license, and have been an airplane watcher as long as I can remember. It didn't take long to realize that this was something I hadn't seen before. Whether it was a "real" ET UFO, or a classified military or experimental type, I have no way of knowing. But big, slow, and silent, without position lights, and on an unusual flight path, sure got my attention.

((END))

Posted 2003-09-24

© 2023 National UFO Reporting Center. All rights reserved. Use or reproduction within any application without written consent is prohibited.