NUFORC Sighting 5709

Occurred: 1999-02-23 02:27 Local
Reported: 1999-02-26 00:00 Pacific
Duration: 5-7min
No of observers: 1

Location: Los Angeles, CA, USA

Shape: Fireball

first saw it as a white light with a brilliant orange tail, tail disappeared white light continued across sky east and then seemed to burn up.

I saw this white light with a brilliant orange tail. I was in my truck just passing thru Running Springs Ca., which is at 5000ft level, It appeared to be coming from the west over Los Angeles and traveling east. I pulled off the road and watched, thinking this could possibly an aircraft going down, then the orange tail disappeared and all I could see was a white light that was still traveling east and did not appear to be loosing altitude. Then it looked like the shots you see in the movies, of a craft or asteroid entering the atmosphere, there was a shield of light, fire or something in the front of this object and then it disappeared like it had burned up on entry. I would say the tail lasted over 2 minutes and the entire event close to 5-7 minutes. I immediately told the folks at work what I had seen, hoping someone had heard something on the radio,but no-one had. I realize this was fairly early in the AM but did you guys hear anything?

NUFORC Note:

NUFORC: Missile launch at 0229 hrs. Pacific on this date.

Posted 1999-04-02