NUFORC Sighting 36399

Occurred: 2004-04-15 20:45 Local
Reported: 2004-04-17 14:59 Pacific
Duration: 20-30 seconds
No of observers: 1

Location: Costa Mesa, CA, USA

Shape: Triangle
Characteristics: Lights on object, Aircraft nearby

night time sighting of triangular shaped object or lights moving quickly on clear night

Clear night with many stars visible when I noticed a triangular pattern moving from south to north with no sound. Unable to note structure of object but it was moving silently at about the speed of a small aircraft unable to determine altitiude. Light of triangle was constant but dim. I am an aviation buff so I know what navigation lighting looks like and this wasn't your ordinary nav lights. The city of Costa Mesa is near the coast so at first I thought they might just be three ballons floating on the onshore breeze and maybe that's all it was except the triangular pattern was constant and I would expect ballons in the wind to change positions. Second of all this object was moving more rapidly than I have ever seen a party ballon move. I observed a nearby flag ploe immediatley after the sighting and there was absolutley no wind if any. Now maybe there was wind at a higher altitude pushing this object on shore, but for me it was the constant shape with the quick pace and no wind that interested me. The object also veered off to the east and out of sight during the 20 or 30 seconds it took to move almost directly overhead. I was wondering if anyone else may have witnessed something similar that evening in my area. I also noted heavy air traffic with a military helicopter coming from the west, commercial aircraft on approach (757) coming from the east into Long Beach or LAX and another small aircraft to the North along with a police helicopter working off to the East.

Posted 2004-04-27