Light over Arlington, VA
A witness account on file, unevaluated. Most of the archive rests here, and honestly so.
The report, as filed
Dazzling bright white oval light falls from sky in Arlington, Virginia
Held as-reported from National UFO Reporting Center. Witness text is preserved verbatim, including its spelling; nothing is edited beyond formatting.
Ask for the records
What would the paper say?
For a dated, located U.S. sighting, FAA radar data and ATC communications are the records most likely to exist. Through Aletheca, the house instrument, anyone can commission the request — filed, chased, and published in the open, refusals included. The draft goes over already written: the records sought, and the date window they would live in.
Routed to: Federal Aviation Administration · records window 2006-03-12 → 2006-03-29
From the same sky
Related entries
October 4, 2023 · 7:05 PM · LIGHT
Arlington, VA
Local weather: KDCA 070252Z 16005KT 10SM FEW060 FEW085 BKN150 22/19 A2989 RMK AO2 SLP120 T02220194 58005 (I live about 3 miles from DCA) [DECODED Weather: Temperature: 22.2°C ( 72°F) Dewpoint: 19.4°C ( 67°F) [RH = 84%] Pressure (altimeter): 29.89 inches Hg (1012.3 mb) [Sea level pressure: 1012.0 mb] Winds: from the SSE (160 degrees) at 6 MPH (5 knots; 2.6 m/s) Visibility: 10 or more sm (16+ km) Ceiling: 15000 feet AGL Clouds: few clouds at 6000 feet AGL, few clouds at 8500 feet AGL, broken clouds at 15000 feet AGL] About me: I rent this apartment (since 2017) because of the panoramic view facing east and because of the proximity to Washington/National (DCA) airport. I am passionate about military and civilian aviation and, as a result, I spend an inordinate amount of time looking at airplanes [noting their make/model, company (owner), path, assumed route, and deviations], weather, and the sky. My Observations: On Wednesday, 04 October 2023, at approximately 1910 local, while sitting on my easterly facing balcony with a friend, talking, I was facing approximately NNE. I observed three lights that "popped into my view", suddenly, causing me to say "whoa" out loud. I did not have to point out the lights to my friend, I simply said something like what are those lights in the sky over the Kenedy Center. She observed the same lights and had no idea what they were. I observed that three dots heading together in a due north direction, at a satallite's passing overhead speed, in an open triangle formation. The three lights were on a triangle, with one light "leading" the formation to the north and two more lights all equidistant from each other to the south. These did not look like the Starlink sattelite pattern of lights so frequestly seen in the sky. Then, within a minute, they all disappeared, first the most northly, then the other two, one after another. The lights were a whitish (with a hint of blue) color. There was no variation in color. There was no variation in the path nor movement. The lights appeared about 35 - 45 degrees above the horizon. They appeared that they were over the surface a great distance away, guessing maybe at least 75 miles away(?) if they were even within low earth atmosphere. They were possibly operating (as I suspect they were) in space. There was no sound. I knew the sun set recently, so I first considered what I was seeing to be a reflection. I disregarded that because the lights "popped" into view versus gradually illuminating - plus, I should have seen a "reflection" well before passing so far north in the sky. (In other words, since the lights traveled south to north, perpendicular to the sun's path, I would have seen any reflection that high in the sky much, much sooner in the more southern sky.) My next thought was that I was seeing satellites - but satellites do not fly in triangle formation in "close" proximity to each other. We did see a satellite later that evening that I suspect was the space station traveling overhead from west to east and very brightly illuminated. The three lights looked completely different. I am familliar (very) with UFP/UAP history, incidents, and converasations, etc. My initial reaction was not that I was seeing a UFO/UAP, but was a "head tilting" but was a "what the heck was that" reaction. Then I concluded that, from my perspective, since it was unknown to me, it was, by definition, an unknown flying object / unknown aerial phenomena. I thought of trying to take a picture, but I know from experience that my cell phone would not have captured the lights.
June 2, 2023 · 9:02 PM · SPHERE
Arlington, VA
I was looking at the moon and what I thought was a star or Venus but the star was moving. Definitely not an airplane and I don’t think Satellites move that way. I took the video in slo mo and the movement was erratic.
September 25, 2022 · 10:56 AM · DISK
Arlington, VA
My living window is 16 floors up in Northern Virginia with unencumbered views all the way into Maryland. As the crow flies I am 2-3 miles from Reagan National Airport and see tons of airplanes flying through the sky daily. I am familiar with the expected trajectory, speed, and duration of visibility simply through observation. Whatever this was, it was not flying like anything I had seen before. In addition to circling above while moving west to east, the "craft" itself was rotating and flying very, very fast. The planes I see out my window always fly away from Northern Virginia. This one flew right over head and then disappeared. When I first saw it, I thought through all possible alternatives before settling on "UFO", and I'm not sure I'm saying I think it was for sure. I thought very large bird? (because of the circling). Marine One coming in for a landing at DCA?
May 29, 2022 · 10:06 PM · CIRCLE
Arlington, VA
On the night of May 29 ar 10 pm while walking our dog I noticed a white and greenish flashing object that moved at a constant rate of speed traveling from west to east. I followed the object with my wife until it disappeared. The video I captured reveals a diamond shaped object when the video is zoomed in.
June 9, 2021 · 1:30 PM · FORMATION
Arlington, VA
Proceeding Eastbound on Route 66. Took Fairfax Drive/Glebe Road Exit. While stopped in traffic at light at intersection of Fairfax Drive and Glebe Road, facing East towards Washington, DC, I was surprised to see multiple objects in front of me, at an elevation of about 45 degrees and at a height of about 1,500 feet. Ultimately, I counted three objects. Each of which was followed by a long, twisted, winding contrail, of perhaps 1,000 feet or more. The contrails were identical for each object, but were not the typical contrail from condensation of water vapor. Rather, they were brown/reddish in color. The three objects moved helter-skelter, crossing each other's paths. I initially thought that they might be helicopters that had been struck by surface to air missiles (very reminiscent of a scene in "London has Fallen." But there was no sound. Then I saw what appeared to be a regular airplane in the nearby area, flying--it was a mid-sized plane with! what appeared to be a fixed (non-retracted) nose landing gear. This led me to think that perhaps the objects were "sky divers" or hang-gliders. But the airplane was oblivious and was flying in a direction different from the three object. In an instant, two of the objects--and their contrails--vanished. Only one object remained. Then the last object and its contrail also vanished. I had a smartphone and thought of taking a picture; but I fumbled around unable to figure out how to use and it was too late anyway. I called my friend as the matter was unfolding and asked if he was aware of what I had just seen. He was not and said he would check the news. Very odd as I thought the objects were in restricted airspace. I suggested that maybe it had been a publicity stunt. I'm reporting for what it's worth in case no one else does. This happened in broad daylight, in plain view. I would be surprised if it was not observed by many people in addition to myself. !
June 9, 2021 · 1:30 PM · FORMATION
Arlington, VA
Proceeding Eastbound on Route 66. Took Fairfax Drive/Glebe Road Exit. While stopped in traffic at light at intersection of Fairfax Drive and Glebe Road, looking Eastward, I was surprised to see multiple objects in front of me, at an elevation of about 45 degrees and an elevation of about 1,500 feet. Ultimately, I counted three objects. Each of which was followed by a long, twisted, winding contrail, of perhaps 1,000 feet or more. The contrails were identical for each object, but were not the typical contrail from condensation of water vapor. Rather, they were brown/reddish in color. The three objects moved helter skelter, crossing each other's paths. I initially thought that they might be helicopters that had been struck by surface to air missiles (very reminiscent of a scene in "London has Fallen." But there was no sound. Then I saw what appeared to be a regular airplane in the nearby area--it was a mid-sized plane with what appeared to be a fi! xed (non-retracted) nose landing gear. This led me to think that perhaps the objects were "sky divers" or hang-gliders. But the airplane was oblivious and in an instant, two of the objects--and their contrails--vanished. Only one object remained. Then it and its contrail also vanished. I had a smartphone and thought of taking a picture; but I fumbled around unable to figure out how to use and it was too late anyway. I called my friend as the matter was unfolding and asked if he was aware of what I had just seen. He was not and said he would check the news. Very odd as I thought the objects were in restricted airspace. I suggested that maybe it had been a publicity stunt. I'm reporting for what it's worth in case no one else does. This happened in broad daylight, in plain view. I would be surprised if it was not observed by many people in addition to myself.