Formation over Allentown, PA

The report, as filed

My wife and I live between Allentown and Emmaus, Pa., in a residential area. Last evening, Nov.14, 2014, at 5:45 PM, while departing our house to dine with another couple, we spotted approx. 10 white lights in an up-side down "V" formation which were moving slowly towards us (Northern direction) in the Southern sky. After several minutes they stopped movement. The formation consisted of three lights on the left leg, one light on the point and six lights on the right leg. All were bright white/red. My wife remembers them as being red. I believe they were white with red in the central area. They did become almost all red. They appeared as very slightly flickering but that might've been due to the atmospheric conditions. I'd guess the brightness was that of a car's headlight from two miles away. Altitude was unknown and we estimated their location above as between Emmaus and Hellertown, Pa., and several miles from us. they were brighter than any star or planet. Shortly after stopping the three lights on the left leg started an upward movement and faded becoming mostly red in color. They might have went into a cloud but I could not see (the cloud). I thought they might be helicopters however we didn't detect any sound. After the three faded away we heard and saw a one engine light aircraft to our right coming out of the East and heading in a Westerly direction on an intersecting pattern with the lights. I'd estimate the aircraft's altitude was approx. 2,000 ft. There is a small airport less than two miles from our house. At the same time three very bright white lights appeared below and farther out (South). They appeared to be moving to meet the lights that were stationary. They could've been the three lights that were in the left leg that climbed and faded away and were returning. The skies were clear with few spotty clouds that were illuminated by ground lights. Meanwhile each light took turns becoming brighter as a landing light would appear. No distinct pattern was seen. The two leading lights in the right leg came closer together almost touching and their color became more red than white. The aircraft appeared to be very close to the unidentified lights and crossed in front of them. By then the engine sound of the light aircraft faded away. The four lights remained stationary so we entered our car and drove in a Southernly direction to meet our friends who were about three miles from our house. A Norfolk Southern freight train passed us 150 ft. to our left (Lehigh Line to Reading and Harrisburg). The track elevation rises as the line enters Emmaus,Pa. After stopping for a series of signal lights, I saw four lights appear just above but farther out than the train. This would be in my 10 o'clock position. While noticing they were yellow, three additional lights appeared to their right (my left). These were a bright and deeper amber color. All the lights were considerably larger than our first sighting but could've been the same lights. I'm a military veteran and they resembled flares but no smoke emitting from them and they were stationary. Our road dropped in elevation and between that and the moving freight train we could no longer see the lights. The time was about 6: 10 PM. I am retired and have excellent eye sight with glasses used for reading and have been a lifetime aviation enthusiast. The lights were not any type of aircraft or flares. Today I stopped at our small airport and they indicated they have not heard about the sighting and they close around 6 PM. Lehigh Valley Airport (ABE) is about 8 to 10 miles from our house and I'm sure they would've warned that light aircraft about the light objects if in fact they appeared on their radar. We were very surprised the aircraft headed directly towards the lights and came very close. Well over 100,000 people live in this very spread out area, which includes Allentown, Emmaus, Bethlehem and other small towns. Pa. Rt. 309 joins with Interstate 78 and both are very heavily traveled plus it was Friday night at rush hour. The lights had to be seen by many people.

Held as-reported from National UFO Reporting Center (record NUFORC #115377). Witness text is preserved verbatim, including its spelling; nothing is edited beyond formatting.