SIGHTING: JACKSONVILLE BEACH, FL (UNITED STATES)

Witness Testimony

"After a power outage tripped the security system and caused my dogs to demand a potty break, I spotted an orange and blue blinking object at a distance of about 10 miles directly east of my position out over the ocean. I initially assumed it to be a Navy plane on maneuvers but then realized it would be odd for any F-18 to be running its lights during a night flight. In addition, no exhaust or afterburners were visible. What caught my attention the most was that the object made no sound despite it being a calm night, and it was traveling at very high speeds that, in my estimation, exceeded anything the Navy could be flying. Given the distances covered and the rate observed, I would have to estimate the light was moving at speeds on the order of thousands of miles per hour. On at least three occasions it made abrupt 90-degree turns that would almost certainly shred any aircraft I'm aware of, and seemed to hover occasionally mid-flight. I repeatedly attempted to record the aircraft with my cell phone but nothing appeared during playback, the object either being too distant or the camera incapable of focusing in the dark. The flight profile almost seemed drone-like, and I would happily chalk it up to someone running a prank with a drone if not for having observed the aircraft's passing behind landmarks that verified its distance. This was a fighter jet sized object performing decidedly non-fighter jet maneuvers. Being acquainted with Navy equipment, I can also attest to the fact it was not a helicopter. The flight profiles weren't even remotely similar and the speeds involved were excessive. Two additional points to make: This isn't the first time I have seen this aircraft in the vicinity (I just never bothered to report it before), and checking the various flight trackers at the time of viewing I can verify no civilian aircraft were active. Viewing time was between 00:15 EST to 00:49 EST, after which it moved behind a tree and vanished. "