1997-07-11 - Allison Park, PA - Cylinder

Summary : As I was driving near the site of a radio tower under construction, I noticed a black, barrel shaped object hovering near it. I stopped my vehicle and tried to understand what it was. As I watched, it began to change shapes, and flash as if the entire unit was a strobe light. I am a former member of the Civil Air Patrol (1Lt.) and I am very familiar with small aircraft, and this was unlike anything I have ever seen. The craft seemed to be observing the construction of the communications tower. Traffic began to build behind me and I had to move to another location 20 seconds away, however, after I moved it was gone. No aircraft I have ever seen from this elevated view point can move out of the field of view so quickly.

I live in Allison Park in Hampton Twp., about 12 miles North of the city of Pittsburgh PA. On Friday July 11 1997, I was on my way home at 3:25 PM. I entered the northern end of Topnic Dr.(in Hampton Twp) and from its high elevation I looked to see how much progress was made on the new communications tower being built near the township Municipal building and as I made the turn onto Topnic I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Looking due south, I saw the tower first. It was not far from being topped off. I could barely see the men working on the top section, but just off to the right, or to the west, there was a black object hovering, as if observing the tower. It was about 1500 above the ground and about 1/2 mile away from me and was so black it was if I was looking at a hole in the sky. It was sort of barrel shaped, and as I watched it hovering completly silent and motionless, it began to change shapes. It changed so many times that I could no longer tell what shape it wa! s. It then began to flash as if the entire craft was a strobe light, pulsing about every 2 seconds. I could see no detail in the craft, no lights or windows, just a black object in the sky hovering silently motionless at first, and then suddenly changing shapes, and flashing like a giant strobe light. I am a mature adult man, with years of experience in the USAF Civil Air Patrol. I live within the TCA of Pittsburgh International Airport, and I'm used to seeing aircraft of military, commercial, and private origin flying in the area. I have never in my life, however, seen anything that I can even say comes close to looking like the craft that I saw on 11 July 1997. My vehicle was stopped in the middle of the road as I observed this craft, and a few cars started to build up behind me. I moved on down the road where I lost sight of it for 20 seconds. When I got to another vantage point, it was gone. From the elevation that I was at, no aircraft, balloon, or helicopter could have moved out of my field of view so quickly. I never heard of any other witnesses, but would like to know, if anybody out there can tell me, if there were any other reports of this sighting. I didn't report this to anyone, because I didn't know who to report it to.