1983: Bend, Oregon Sighting

Warning: strlen() expects parameter 1 to be string, array given in /home2/orbman69/public_html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 262
(Last Updated On: )

THINK ABOUTIT SIGHTING REPORT

Date: August, 27, 1983

Sighting Time: 5:30 A.M. PDT

Day/Night: Nighttime

Location: Bend, Oregon

Urban or Rural: Rural

Hynek Classification: NL (Nocturnal Light) Point or extended luminous source observed at night.

Duration: 3-4 seconds

No. of Object(s):  1

Size of Object(s): 1500 ft to 3500 ft in length

Distance to Object(s):

Shape of Object(s): large trunk, or the obelisk

Color of Object(s):

Number of Witnesses: 1

Source:

Summary/Description: As I was standing in the middle of the road looking at the pre-dawn sky of brilliant stars and Polaris, I noticed what seemed like a fireball low in the trees north along the road. There were huge flames all about the object and suddenly it veered to my right and rapidly gained altitude to about 22 Degrees above the horizon. (Polaris is about 45 Degrees altitude) The flames went out and I was looking at this object broadside. It was clearly delineated twice as high as its width. I could see its thickness (about 1/2 its width) as well as the top was angled about 15 degrees to the right. An extremely bright ablation tail formed from each of the four visible edges and formed smooth curves top and bottom (like a scimitar blade) joining some distance back. This tail became so bright the sky turned briefly to blue then faded to black once again with the brilliant stars in the background. I could see brown smoke trailing in the bright yellow -orange light . The object was clearly visible by an orange glowing rectangular seam at its middle and at all of its edges. There were a few orange sparks from the top and leading edges. 3 to 4 four seconds later and perhaps at a bearing 45 Deg. NE. Altitude still at about 22 Deg. It disappeared into the night sky except for a faint wisp of trailing smoke.

The road was lined with alpine firs and tent camp sites were to my right . The camp site of my friends and myself was to my right about 40 ft . The lake shore about 100 ft. The four of us were heading out on a roped accent of the Mt. Washington spire early this morning at sunrise. My friends were asleep and did not witness any of this and I did not say anything to them as I did not want to “spook” our day and some tricky climbing later on.

Further information submitted on 3/13/2006:

This is not the usual UFO case as you can see. But, there are very puzzling aspects regarding this sighting. First is I have difficulty justifying my ability to see an object possible as distant as the space station for example. If I assume 3/8th at 24 in (arm length) and taking the sighting angle of 22 +,- Deg vertical angle the size of this object boggles the mind. A minimum a 2500 feet in length and more likely more than a mile in length. OR, the object dipped to perhaps just ten miles altitude above ground. Why didn’t it burn up? The shape was maintained threw out its visibility. I estimate it to be traveling at near the escape velocity of earth, or 25,000 mph. It appears to be free falling and deflected to my right after approaching at a very low angle to the earth. Then perhaps headed either into earth orbit, or back into space. With only one witness, determining which would be additional conjecture.

Comments by the witness: “I made a “Paint” software sketch of this event. I have a much more detailed version in pencil showing trees, shrubs, tents and water.