Fireball over Appleton, WI
A witness account on file, unevaluated. Most of the archive rests here, and honestly so.
The report, as filed
As I was driving home at 22:30 on 6/23/15, Northbound on Northland Avenue/OO in Appleton, WI, I looked up, as I was nearing the Ballard intersection, and saw 3 fireball type objects flying in formation. They appeared to be flying quite low, about the height of a radio tower. I snapped 2 pictures with my phone right after I spotted them. They continued to cross over the highway and once they were behind me I did a U-turn so I could continue to watch. I rolled down my window and turned off my radio to see if I could hear any sound from them but I could not. Right after I turned my car around, the 2 at the edges blinked out at almost the same time and the middle one faded and blinked out within 15-20 seconds afterward. I pulled over on a side street near where they blinked out and got out of my car to see if I could see or hear anything, but I could not, and they did not reappear within the 5 minutes I stayed there. I am a social worker and I had another sighting which I reported on August 8, 2014, in which I saw 6-7 similar unexplained objects with one other witness, and was able to collect a video that time.
Held as-reported from National UFO Reporting Center (record NUFORC #119727). 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 2015-06-20 → 2015-07-07
From the same sky
Related entries
August 30, 2023 · 7:00 PM · OTHER
Appleton, WI
My husband & I saw this object so clearly. We live by the airport, so this is very strange indeed! We were outside when I spotted 1 oddity in the sky. It was on Wednesday August 30 2023 at approximately 7 pm. I pointed & asked my husband if he could see the object? He said Yes! It was like a white chunky tic tac/capsule shape. It had many propellers around the center with a "sheer-like" quality. It was moving silently, at a fast pace. I ran to the end of our driveway, to try & capture pictures. I zoomed in & couldn't see it in my camera phone, it had disappeared. It was there one second & gone the next. Now we are watching the sky more often. My husband & I do not drink or do recreational drugs. It's fair to say, that we thought twice about reporting this, due to the possibility of ridicule. However after conversing, we felt it could be of importance. Thanks for your time.
June 8, 2022 · 7:30 PM · CIGAR
Appleton, WI
Sitting in back yard talking with son. Looked up to my right to see stationary 5 block long by 2 blocks heigh silver cigar shaped object. Son turn and looked as I stood pointing at it. It had no seams, engine or navigation, no lights or markings, incredibly perfect stainless steel looking tube, rounded at both ends. Horizontal to ground along length, due south at 45 degrees up from my viewpoint, 400-500 yards up. Silently start moving east, slow at first, accelerating up and way doubling speed each second. It was quickly at satellite altitude, 1 minute or so. Continued straight towards edge of horizon. As it left atmosphere a bright burst of light, star burst like, caused us to squint and it was gone. It was still daylight, clearly visible and not far away at first siting. Everyone in Appleton should have seen. As it climbed and left orbit, everyone in the Midwest should have seen it. We both had cell phones in pocket but too mesmerized to even think about taking pictures. We do not consider it a UFO, but an alien spacecraft.
April 22, 2021 · 8:50 PM · TRIANGLE
Appleton, WI
April 22nd, 8:50pm central time I was taking the garbage cans to the street and I had an intense feeling that I should look up. In the southwest sky there was a triangular shaped metallic object that appeared to have a tumbling motion even tho I didn’t really see it move positions in the sky. I ran inside to grab my phone and unfortunately it doesn’t show up very well but you can still see the shape and tumbling motion. There was no sound associated w the object but it was very far away About 9:10 it was still there and I went back into the house. I am a retired seargent detective for the Grainger County Tennessee Sheriffs Department. I also worked as a paramedic and firefighter for that county.
July 4, 2019 · 9:00 PM · CIRCLE
Appleton, WI
My friend and I were outside and she saw the first one before I could grab my phone to get this second one. Her phone was too blurry, so I shot this one. It was a reddish orange color and didn't move like the medical helicopter or planes that sometimes fly over. We often like looking up at the sky, I am a storm spotter, and my friend identifies stars for NASA that haven't been discovered yet.
October 30, 2017 · 10:30 PM · LIGHT
Appleton, WI
We assume a nighttime sighting, and have amended the time above. Witness elects to remain totally anonymous, so we are unable to confirm the time. PD
August 11, 2016 · 8:50 PM · LIGHT
Appleton, WI
One object. Super bright light. No sound. Directly over the city of Appleton. Was still in the sky for about a minute before tracking slowly to the northeast. After about one minute it accelerated at a much higher rate of speed and turned red in color as it disappeared.