DATE: 98-03-17

Minotola, New Jersey sightings report

A very interesting sighting was reported to me at the beginning of February 1998 by a witness in Minotola, New Jersey. After an initial telephone call, the witness forwarded to me a full written account of his sighting together with the picture which appears adjacent to this text.

His letter dated February 12th, 1998 details his sighting of February 9th, 1998: "I was walking back home from my neighbor's home about 3:10 p.m. when I noticed a bright object coming out of the north sky which looked somewhat different than a normal plane or jet. I watched it for a couple of minutes and the closer it got to me the more confusing it was. I went into my house and got a pair of 7 x 35 binoculars and viewed it through them.

My first impression was that it might be a large white bird, possibly an Egret. It was white with a faint tint of black on the edges. I watched it or a few seconds and was going to dismiss it as that, but then the object seemed to turn and reflect the sun with a very bright glare. I immediately went back into the house and put a 200mm lens on my camera an went back out and at this time it was almost directly overhead.

I had time to take two pictures, and seeing that I was still unable to make out what it was I went back inside and brought out my son's telescope. I noticed at that time there was a passenger jet which seemed to be passing above the object in a southwest direction. I then viewed the object through the eyepiece.

My first impression was that it seemed to be a group of black and white balloons, but it was high in the air. I looked back into the eye piece and focused in on them and then I saw that it was not balloons. There was one large pearl black object attached to a frame that extended back and had two larger round flat objects on each side of the frame, the sides of which were charcoal colored. In front of the first black object, which may be part of the frame, was an extended section resembling half of an arrowhead. It was only visible for about two to three minutes. It was traveling at a steady even pace from north to southeast. The entire episode took only about eight minutes and then it was out of view."

I had time to take two pictures, and seeing that I was still unable to make out what it was I went back inside and brought out my son's telescope. I noticed at that time there was a passenger jet which seemed to be passing above the object in a southwest direction. I then viewed the object through the eyepiece.

This witness contacted McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey and discussed what he had seen with an Air Force representative there. The Air Force was apparently extremely interested in the photographs this witness may have taken of this object and asked him to bring the film to them. He did not bring his film to the Air Force and has been working on getting the pictures developed and enlarged to enable the best possible view of this object.