SIGHTING: SPOKANE VALLEY, WASHINGTON (UNITED STATES)

Witness Testimony

"Was in bed when fireworks noise from New Years woke us. Kept seeing firework flashes through the windows on the south side of the house, so decided to get up. Neighbors to the east were setting off firework mortars. Went to the French doors on east side of house to get a better look. Did get a better view of the neighbors fireworks and also noticed flashes of light to the northeast as if more fireworks were being set off. Was watching in this area when I noticed a yellow-white object, with yellow-orange perimeter come into view beyond the corner of the house near a pine tree. It was just there! My first impression was a fireworks mortar that had been fired in a northerly direction. Instead of exploding it got brighter as if it was an aircraft landing light making a coarse correction for an approach to Geiger Airport to the west of Spokane. In relation to the pine tree it hadn't moved much from where I had first seen it. Then it made a clock-wise hook to the north, which gave me the impression it could be a helicopter. But, then it just faded like a dimmer switch being turned down, leaving a dull gray light like a bulb on a dimmer switch, but it still had the yellow-orange perimeter. Then it just faded out. I was still watching the area, wondering what had just happened, when I noticed what looked like a strobe at great distance in that it was very dim, in the same area. I mentioned to my wife what I had just seen, that the light had just disappeared. I continued to watch the area and observed the strobing light three or four more times when the light came back, again like a dimmer switch had been turned on, after about 30 sec. The impression it gave me was of a helicopter turning on its axis or possibly a quad drone doing the same. It stayed stationary for about another 30 sec. so I called my wife over to see. We watched it together for another 30 sec.commenting on how odd it was behaving and the odd color as it was not the color of an aircraft landing light nor as bright.10 or 15 sec. later another similar light appeared below and behind the first light. They both stayed stationary for another 10 to 15 seconds then started moving in a southwesterly direction. At this point I stepped outside to see if I could hear anything, but all that I could hear was the fireworks. I thought with the proximity of the lights, if it was helicopters I should have heard the rotors but again all that I could hear was the fireworks. As they were moving southwest across the peak of the house I lost sight of them near the spruce tree in front of the house. I went back inside and went out the front door hoping to see them again. I briefly saw the trailing light before it went behind the spruce. I went back inside to the west windows but could not see the lights again as the west neighbors trees were in the way. Again,no aircraft sound as they headed southwest between Brown's mountain on the south hill and downtown Spokane. The sky was crystal clear, no clouds visible, half moon in the east. The whole thing lasted about 4 minutes."