Cylinder over Newville, PA

The report, as filed

On Monday, July 10, about 11AM ET, my wife and I were driving on I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike westbound, MM 225 near Newville, PA. The sky is clear and sunny, visibilty is very good. I am in the drivers seat. Our speed, and other traffic, is 80 mph. Earlier I had seen a sign "Speed Monitored By Aerial Surveillence," so I was watching. To the southwest, my left, through the front windshield, I saw a helicopter. It was a white, familiar-looking police helicopter, hovering at an altitude that appeared normal for police traffic helicopters, and less than a 1/4 mile south off the Interstate. Mountains rise up about 10 miles ahead, and I could see a small white airplane in the distance, banking to my left. I looked at the helicopter, and noticed a long straight black tubular object (1) (the top surface reflecting the sun) above it, at approximately twice the altitude of the helicopter. I comment to my wife, "What do you think that is?" My first thought was a large solar balloon. The tubular object appeared to be more than twice as long as the helicopter and about the same diameter as the cabin of the helicopter. The black tubular object was not a rigid cylinder and would fold to form a V shape, both arms about the same length. At one point, I saw (2) one of the arms fold again about 1/4 of the length from the end. By now, I am looking directly out of the drivers side window, due south. A second white helicopter has appeared, and both helicopters maintain their altitude beneath the object. The three aircraft do not appear to be moving away, but hovering. The white airplane that I saw earlier, is now in view, south of the Interstate and at some distance beyond the helicopters and appears flying a circular path around the object, as I can see some top surface of the wings. Moving past the event, I see the tubular object straighten out briefly and then refold (3) into a V. It's still south of the Interstate, behind us and then lost to my view. I was in the passenger's seat. When my husband called my attention to the object, it was south of us, and I looked out of the driver's side window (I had already noticed one helicopter), I first thought it was a small flock of birds flying closely together. When I realized it wasn't birds, I paid more attention. It looked like (4) a translucent object floating without form, sort of like a jellyfish, but it had some kind of black large pieces to it that I took to be the birds originally. I thought perhaps it was a large clear weather balloon that was descending. I was not able to see it for very long, being on the opposite side of the car. It quickly disappeared from my view.

Held as-reported from National UFO Reporting Center (record NUFORC #135111). Witness text is preserved verbatim, including its spelling; nothing is edited beyond formatting.