2002-08-04 - Derry, NH - Unknown

Aircraft that sounds like a rocket launch?

I wanted to report an interesting occurance over my house earlier this month. Before I do, you should know that I am a student pilot, an avid aircraft buff, and have been in/around aircraft all my life. I know the subject pretty well.

I live in Derry New Hampshire, which is not far from the Massachusettes border. On the morning of August 4th, I was still online at 1:00 am. It was a very clear night.

I began to hear a rumbling sound which very quickly graduated to a loud roaring sound, rattling the windows.

I sprinted outside to have a look. Traveling east to west, high overhead, was a single bright white light. I would guess its altitude to have been at least thirty thousand feet, if not more. I could discern no standard aviation lighting, but that's not unusual given the height. What was amazing was the roar! I recently moved back here from Florida's Brevard County, where the sound of rocket launches was somewhat routine. If I had seen this in Florida, I would have thought they were launching a rocket in the wrong direction. As I said, the sound of this aircraft was so loud it rattled the windows, and sounded EXACTLY like a rocket launch. There was no sound of turbines at all.

This sounded extremely powerful. My first impression was that I was looking at a missle coming in from the Atlantic somewhere. The hair stood up on my arms and for a moment I thought..."uh oh". All I can say was that this was no normal aircraft, if that's what it was. I do not believe this was a fighter jet with afterburners on. It was not traveling especially fast, and continued at the same speed throughout its trajectory.

I would like to know if anyone else in the area heard this that night. It was traveling roughly over the Mass/NH border.

The sound actually awoke others in my household, which has never happened before.

Thanks for your time, Greg