2004-10-04 - Russellville, AR - Light

This is in response to a similar report from Pottsville, AR that occurred on 12/2/04. On two occasions, I've sighted a similar object in the same general area that exhibited similar flight characteristics. For the sake of brevity, I'm only describing the most recent incident here. In the month of October 2004, I was traveling west on I-40 near Pottsville, AR at approximately 2000hrs when I noticed a white, non-blinking light west of my location at approximately 30 degrees above the horizon. The light was moving from south to north. I estimated its speed as comparable to a small fixed-wing aircraft. As, I neared the eastern city limits of Russellville, I realized that the object was directly over the eastern part of Russellville at an approximate altitude of 1500 ft. At this time, I reasoned that the object was the landing light of a small aircraft inbound to the Russellville municipal airport. However, an actual small aircraft moving north to south passed beneath the light and continued to descend towards the airport. I estimate the closest distance between the object and the aircraft to be less than 1000 feet as the two passed. The object continued to move to the north until it was approximately 1/2-3/4 mile north of I-40, at which time it made a slow turn towards the south and followed its original path back the way it had came across I-40. As I neared Russellville, I crossed beneath the object's flight path. At this point, the object was directly south of my location. I exited I-40 at exit 82 and stopped at a gas station at the top of the exit ramp to attempt a better observation of the object. Unfortuntately, by this time the object had moved well to the south and was difficult to observe. While standing in the gas station parking lot, I was able to note that the object was indeed moving to the south and was not a star or planet. I lost sight of the object shortly after that.

((NUFORC Note: Date is approximate. PD))