SIGHTING: FAIRFIELD, IOWA (UNITED STATES)

Witness Testimony

"Witness A went out onto the front porch of her home to collect some firewood for her wood stove and noticed something unusual so she called for her husband (Witness B) to come look. Witness B, a certified pilot, thought to pull up the flight weather icing report off the NOAA website because he and his wife both saw 4 red lights, while the radar only showed a snow front moving through. The airport reported ceilings at 7000 ft. with winds at 120 degrees and 9 knots. Both witnesses saw what seemed to be 4 objects moving with the wind then ascending into the clouds, slowly. Witness B is confident they weren't airplanes as no airplane would be flying that slow and entering known heavy icing, especially at the direction they were moving. They were traveling from SE to NW, which is not in the pattern for this particular airport. They appeared to move from SE of the airport to directly over the airport or perhaps just this side of the runway nearest the group of buildings before disappearing. Whether the lights just turned off or they ascended into the clouds and were no longer visible neither witness can say for certain. But there's no doubt they weren't airplanes,because they wouldn't be traveling in a group like that AND deliberately flying into icing when they could have stayed below 7000 ft. for just a short time to remain below the clouds until they were past the front. Nor would an airplane ever turn off their navigation lights. Both witnesses said they were excited but never afraid during this event. Witness B does not rule out the possibility of the objects being either weather balloons released by the airport manager or Chinese lanterns possibly released by a local farmer and his family."