2002-11-09 - Kingsville, TX - Cylinder

Silver Cylinder Observed Near Navy Jets Practice Dog Fight In Texas

I was deer hunting about 75 miles southwest of Kingsville, Texas. I was watching two Navy Jets (trainers orange/white) practice formation flying and then begin to dog fight. They were having a good time of it and all over the sky. I am not sure of the altitudes, but it was probably never lower than 8,000' to 10,000' I was watching them with my binoculars for about 45 minutes to an hour. The sky was clear of clouds, but a bit hazy. I was looking to the north with the morning sun behind me. The two jets joined up in formation and started flying to the east by northeast. I guess flying back to the Naval Air Station in Kingsville. As I watched them depart, an object slowly entered my area of vision in the binoculars. The object was moving in the same direction of the departing jets, west to east, but moving much slower than the jets. Maybe 150 mph based on the jets speed in departing. Hard to tell. I heard no sound, but had heard the Navy Jets very well all morning. The object was in the shape of a long cylinder. It looked to be narrower in the center and the ends were the same thickness. The narrow center section of the object was a hazy red color while the rest of the object was silver. The front, middle and back section were all about the same length. I know the object was about 3 to 4 times the size of the Navy Jets, because while I was watching the object, the two Navy jets returned and buzzed the object two times (under and over) before departing again to the east by northeast. I could hear the jets after the first pass, but nothing ever from the object. The object did not have wings or a tail that I could recognize. The object continued to the east at a steady rate of speed until I lost sight of it. I don't know why, but I got the feeling that the object had been watching the Navy Jets practice too.

((NUFORC Note: We spoke with the individual who submitted this report, and we found him to be quite credible, and we suspect he is an exceptionally good witness. He is a former military jet pilot. The witness, based on his experience, believes that the two aircraft were aware of the presence of the unidentified object, and that they many have left the area because of its presence. PD))