SIGHTING: WESTPORT, WASHINGTON (UNITED STATES)

Witness Testimony

"We were facing the ocean watching fireworks on the beach at Westport, WA. At approx. 11 pm we noticed above and behind us a bright, orange-colored orb traveling from north to south. It did not travel at an unusual rate of speed but it also did not display any blinking lights that a small to medium conventional aircraft would have shown at that altitude, which we estimated to be approximately 5,000 feet. If it were a large conventional aircraft, we would have heard engine noise. The light traveled steadily for two to three minutes as we captured the image on a cell phone video. It then seemed to head in a southeasterly direction and disappear. However, within 30 seconds it reappeared brightly at the same position it had been approximately a minute before. This disappearance and re-appearance was repeated one more time before the object finally faded from view. The orb did not resemble any kind of "firework" that I had ever seen. It was simply too high and glowed too long. It also did not resemble any of the many small airplanes that I have seen on many a 4th of July night cruising above fireworks displays. Those craft were easily identifiable by the position of the blinking lights on the wings and tail. This orb appeared as a solid object and did not blink or pulsate, although a thin, very bright white penumbra appeared to rim the orange light. Shortly before -- approximately one-half hour -- we noticed the orb, a helicopter showing only a single tail light flew past us from north to south (the same general direction of flight of the orb)over the ocean."