Unknown over Los Altos, CA
A witness account on file, unevaluated. Most of the archive rests here, and honestly so.
The report, as filed
Walking down my driveway, facing N/nw, I just happened to look up and saw what I thought was a large flock of birds circling, but seemed very high I could not make out size or type of bird. Than I began to notice that they would go from a dark to light color, but it was not reflective of sun, most of group was circling clockwise, but either side would turn whitish, not just group at “9 o’clock” position as if that how angled in turn, the 3 o’clock side would also go white. I pulled out my phone to record, and continued watching and the objects were fading in/out, then after about 2 minutes they all vanished. I went to watch the video and stupid me didn’t record!!! I did see a very high altitude plane fly over, maybe over 20,000 ft (lots of planes fly over to sfo, that pattern puts at 6000 over my house, so this plane much higher) but the object were definitely below this plane.
Held as-reported from National UFO Reporting Center (record NUFORC #137828). 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 2017-11-14 → 2017-12-01
From the same sky
Related entries
November 7, 2020 · 7:12 PM
Los Altos, CA
Was clear night, no moon.
November 7, 2020 · 7:12 PM
Los Altos, CA
Source of report provides no information. PD
September 26, 2017 · 8:00 PM · LIGHT
Los Altos, CA
Stepped out to throw garbage out, heard low humming sound like a distant helicopter. I looked in direction and saw a helicopter following a very bright light, heading west over hills above Los Altos/Palo Alto. The bright light then dimmed to gone, then there was a very quick, bright red flash. The helicopter that was following stayed on same heading till was gone over mountain range. That range of mountains no higher than 2000', so I don't think light and helicopter were much higher. I'm right under flight pattern for SFO, very familiar with plane lights, and their landing pattern. We get lots of traffic out of moffet, but again familiar with those aircraft, both military and coast guard. Coast guard copters have a very distinct whine, not same as the military helicopters, so at first I thought maybe it was CG, but this helicopter had a different sound to it.
July 18, 2009 · 3:00 AM · DISK
Los Altos, CA
glowing horizontal saucer-shaped light seen hovering over Los Altos Hills, CA.
March 10, 2003 · 1:45 AM · DISK
Los Altos, CA
Greenish glowing craft flies over Peninsula Bayland/Palo Alto area
September 9, 1999 · 5:00 AM · CIRCLE
Los Altos, CA
During lightning storm and early morning hours (still dark)an object with lights stayed motionless in the same area.