Odd football shaped object seen from Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa, traveling near airliner.
At approximately 2:30, in the afternoon on 05/06/15, I was heading south on Dale Mabry Highway near the Northdale Drive area. The sky was overcast in patchy sections where there were areas of clear sky between the clouds. Cloud ceiling looked to be around 6-7000 feet.
I glanced up at an airliner that was making an approach to Tampa Int'l Airport, traveling on a SSW heading. I estimate the aircraft's altitude at about 3,500-4000 feet. As I watched the airliner, I spotted another object drop out of the clouds above and slightly in front of the airliner. The object was shaped like a football with the ends more narrowly pinched together. It was uniformly gray in color.
It described a smooth arc downward for maybe 500' or so, then pulled up and into the next cloud bank. The sighting lasted only a few seconds, but the object was clearly visible, and I could see the airplane and the object together. I would estimate the object to be slightly smaller than the airliner so perhaps 100' long. It had no wings, engines or other visible characteristics or marking.
Its movement was very smooth and fluid. I'm not sure if anyone on the aircraft was in a position to see the object as it was almost directly above them and perhaps 1000-2000 feet higher.
When the object ducked back into the clouds, I continued driving south in hopes I might see it again but it did not reappear. Not sure what it was but very unusual looking and appeared to be controlled. It was moving slightly faster than the aircraft so maybe around 200-250 knots.
I am something of an aviation buff but this did not resemble any aircraft that I know of.
At approximately 2:30, in the afternoon on 05/06/15, I was heading south on Dale Mabry Highway near the Northdale Drive area. The sky was overcast in patchy sections where there were areas of clear sky between the clouds. Cloud ceiling looked to be around 6-7000 feet.
I glanced up at an airliner that was making an approach to Tampa Int'l Airport, traveling on a SSW heading. I estimate the aircraft's altitude at about 3,500-4000 feet. As I watched the airliner, I spotted another object drop out of the clouds above and slightly in front of the airliner. The object was shaped like a football with the ends more narrowly pinched together. It was uniformly gray in color.
It described a smooth arc downward for maybe 500' or so, then pulled up and into the next cloud bank. The sighting lasted only a few seconds, but the object was clearly visible, and I could see the airplane and the object together. I would estimate the object to be slightly smaller than the airliner so perhaps 100' long. It had no wings, engines or other visible characteristics or marking.
Its movement was very smooth and fluid. I'm not sure if anyone on the aircraft was in a position to see the object as it was almost directly above them and perhaps 1000-2000 feet higher.
When the object ducked back into the clouds, I continued driving south in hopes I might see it again but it did not reappear. Not sure what it was but very unusual looking and appeared to be controlled. It was moving slightly faster than the aircraft so maybe around 200-250 knots.
I am something of an aviation buff but this did not resemble any aircraft that I know of.
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Yes
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No
Off
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No
Tampa
USA
few seconds
few seconds
28.01
-82.48
other
FL
Occurred : 5/6/2015 14:30 (Entered as : 05/06/15 14:30) Reported: 5/10/2015 7:36:34 AM 07:36 Posted: 5/13/2015 Location: Tampa, FL Shape: Other Duration: few seconds Characteristics: There were aircraft in the vicinity or aircraft chasing the object
Odd football shaped object seen from Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa, traveling near airliner.