2012-04-03 - Columbus, OH - Cylinder

bright white cigar/cylinder above columbus OH 4/03/2012 daytime sighting

Tuesday April 3rd 2012. I was outside on a break at work, it was about 7:15pm. Weather was perfect, bright blue sky with hardly a cloud to be seen. Upon exiting the building I looked to the sky, as I usually do (I’m fascinated with looking up, watching airplanes, looking at stars etc.) I noticed two planes very high heading west, one behind the other and a little offset. I watched for a few seconds and turned my attention to my phone to do a bit of web surfing. After a couple of minutes I again looked toward the sky, but this time I was in for a surprise! When I looked up, I saw something I can’t explain. There was a bright white object. The shape was somewhere between a cigar and a cylinder. Actually, it looked like a pill capsule. Take the fuselage of a plane, remove the wings and tail and cap both ends with a dome. That’s what I saw.

I was on the east side of Columbus, OH and fairly close to the airport. Keep in mind, it was broad daylight when this occurred. The “object” was traveling from south to north in much the same way a blimp might travel. (silently gliding across the sky) The altitude was really not that high, I’m guessing around 5’000 ft. It was low enough to see that it did not have wings, and that it was not a blimp, but it was just a little too high to see any clear detail. (as in windows , doors etc.) A pair of cheap binoculars would have revealed something I’m sure. That’s how close it was.

I watched the object pass over as it headed north. I’m guessing it was about a half mile east of my position. Hard to tell though because I don’t know the true size of said object. From my perspective I’d say the size was somewhere between a private jet, and a commercial airliner. The moment was very surreal. I just watched in amazement. I did think about taking a picture with my phone, but I knew the picture would only reveal a small white blob in the sky, and wouldn’t prove anything… I would be made fun of by friends when trying to show it. In hindsight however, I wish I had taken that picture! The object continued heading away from me to the north, and after I had my fill of watching it, I again returned to surfing the web. (I knew I had just witnessed something extraordinary, but there was nothing else to see) After reading a couple articles in the news I decided it was time to go back inside. I took one more look to the sky, and low and behold, there it was again! It seemed to be on the same trajectory, only this time, it was headed back to where it came. (south) I couldn’t believe it. I watched for a few seconds and decided I needed a witness. I went back inside, and yelled for one of my co-workers. I told him to hurry, you’ve gotta see this. We were back outside in about 15 sec. I pointed to the sky and said “What the **** is that?!!” He was without words. I had him confirm what I saw. Me: “do you see wings?” Him: “no” Me: “is it a blimp?” Him: “no” Me: “what do you think it is?” Him: “I don’t know” We watched it head further to the south for maybe 30-40 sec. and then it changed course a bit and headed roughly south east and then accelerated (gradually, but firmly) off into the distance. Im very glad I called for him.

I have no idea what I witnessed. I very much like looking to the sky, and I do every time I go outside. I live in the flight path of Port Columbus and I am accustomed to seeing different types of planes as they come in to land. I’ll admit I’m no aviation expert, but like I said I’ve always been fascinated by flight, and I watch planes every chance I get. I love to read about the mysteries of this earth, and in doing so, I have read enough to also be a very skeptical person. However, this is one thing I cannot explain. To me this was truly an Unidentified Flying Object. From where it came, I do not know, but I am very glad to have witnessed it.

I have searched online every day since and have come up with nothing. Surely somebody saw it, and I would like to hear other accounts.