Another Pilot Sees Orbs Circling Over the USA ( MUFON Case 125796)

[flarkey]

MUFON Case 125796

Submitted Date: 2022-10-12

Time of Event: 2022-09-13 2:10AM

Location of Event: Denver, CO, US

Short Description: Various angles of flight and movements

Long Description:
These orbs of light were not operating in a way I have seen in my 20 plausibly years as an airline pilot

Link to videos downloaded from mufon.com and uploaded to my Dropbox:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/r1r0vu34f73la0r/AABrR3shxmoAM7yQ5Pe49GeEa?dl=0

Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/UFOs/comments/y2n5lf/mufon_case_125796_pilot_records_orbs_over_co_us/

Original video files: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/r1r0vu34f73la0r/AABrR3shxmoAM7yQ5Pe49GeEa?dl=0

This is a section of the video at 4x speed... it shows the orbs appear to be in a parabolic flight path, kinda like a satellite.....

Looks like these could be Starlink flares yet again. Can anyone get the full MUFON report so we can hopefully work out the flight number?

Edit: From the metadata on the original file the video seems to have been recorded on an iPhone 13 Pro Max, on 2022-09-13 23:17 UTC-4, which equates to 2022-09-14 3:17 UTC. (or 2022-09-13 21:17 UTC-6 Mountain Daylight Time for Denver)

This is another one of the original videos - a timelapse of the view from the aircraft. I have cropped it and adjusted the brightness to show the 'orbs' more clearly...

 

[Ravi]

The only thing we need is an orb that makes a sudden motion to the other direction, but they all seem to act and behave like.. orbital bodies.

 

[flarkey]

The only thing we need is an orb that makes a sudden motion to the other direction, but they all seem to act and behave like.. orbital bodies.

Yes, the only thing that I see and unusual about these this their concentration in the sky. It is unusual to see so many satellite flares together. In my 30 years of satellite observing I've often seen double and triple flares, but not more than this. However recently I saw about 10 in a row which I immediately realised was Starlink flaring. An unseasoned satellite observer may not realise this so quickly, and an airline pilot may think they they are another aircraft(s) circling.

 

[Ann K]

I think it's time to have licensed pilots receive a primer on starlinks.

 

[flarkey]

So I've been trying to work out the position of where and when this video was shot and have started examinng the EXIF data on the three sumbitted videos on Dropbox.

Clip 1
Creation Date : 2022:09:13 23:32:55-04:00
GPS Latitude : 40 deg 6' 44.28" N
GPS Longitude : 76 deg 29' 24.00" W
GPS Position : 40 deg 6' 44.28" N, 76 deg 29' 24.00" W


Clip 2
Creation Date : 2022:09:13 23:17:52-04:00
GPS Latitude : 40 deg 39' 25.20" N
GPS Longitude : 73 deg 47' 22.92" W
GPS Position : 40 deg 39' 25.20" N, 73 deg 47' 22.92" W

Clip 3
Creation Date : 2022:09:13 23:24:05-04:00
GPS Latitude : 40 deg 6' 44.28" N
GPS Longitude : 76 deg 29' 24.00" W
GPS Position : 40 deg 6' 44.28" N, 76 deg 29' 24.00" W

Interestingly the GPS position for Clip 2 is 40 deg 6' 44.28" N, 76 deg 29' 24.00" W puts the plane right at JFK Airport.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/40°39'25.2"N+73°47'22.9"W/@40.6531643,-73.7962032,14.14z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x3aef003dac1f5d59!8m2!3d40.657!4d-73.7897

Clip 1 and 3 give the same GPS location which is in central Pennsylvania 40 deg 6' 44.28" N, 76 deg 29' 24.00" W

https://www.google.com/maps/place/40°06'44.3"N+76°29'24.0"W/@40.0327441,-76.8046863,9.1z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x7dd7512116f3298e!8m2!3d40.1123!4d-76.49

Not sure what this all means yet. The full EXIF data is in the attached file.

 

[JMartJr]

"Another pilot sees points of light fading in and out in a line" maybe?

 

[flarkey]

Hmm, I've tried to geolocate this sighting and I dont think that this video was fimed over Colorado. It looks more like Harrisburg Pennsyvania and i think it was Flight Fedex1314. It passes right over the 2nd GPS position from the EXIF data.

I think this shows the Sesquashana River towards the left and is looking north west.

Without confirming the location and time that the videos were recorded I don't think we can positively identify any of the 'orbs' as flaring Starlink satellites, although they do look just like many of the other by recent sightings of them.

 

[jarlrmai]

Seems an odd proportion of 'pilot sees UFO from plane' videos come from cargo planes..
I Imagine the EXIF / GPS for airport gives you a start airport and time for the flight.

 

[flarkey]

So my brain has been occupied for the last few days with trying to geolocate this image from clip 1 in the dropbox files.

Clips are also here:
Source: https://twitter.com/528vibes/status/1580531139491426304?t=u6DEI7fjd23QhzsywaHG1w&s=09

From Clip 1 Selected metadata is:

ExifTool Version Number : 10.07
File Name : 1.mov
Directory : .
File Size : 3.7 MB
File Modification Date/Time : 2022:10:13 02:32:58+01:00
File Access Date/Time : 2022:10:13 19:49:23+01:00
File Inode Change Date/Time : 2022:10:13 18:52:45+01:00
File Permissions : rw-------
<snip>
Com Apple Photos Capture Mode : Time-lapse
Handler Type : Metadata Tags
Location Accuracy Horizontal : 6196.066578
GPS Coordinates : 40 deg 6' 44.28" N, 76 deg 29' 24.00" W
Make : Apple
Model : iPhone 13 Pro Max
Software : 15.6.1
Creation Date : 2022:09:13 23:32:55-04:00
Avg Bitrate : 2.49 Mbps
GPS Latitude : 40 deg 6' 44.28" N
GPS Longitude : 76 deg 29' 24.00" W
GPS Position : 40 deg 6' 44.28" N, 76 deg 29' 24.00" W
Image Size : 1280x720
Megapixels : 0.922
Rotation : 0

I still think this is near the Harrisburg area of Pennsylvania. Although the gps Exif Metada on the clips could wrong I thing the Creation Time on Clip 3 of 2022:09:13 23:24:05-04:00 = 2022:09:14 03:24:05 UTC is probably right. The Audio track of Clip 2 mentions 3 other aircraft callsigns - Fedex1612, Fedex 1604 and Frontier 2143. At this time they are all heading West over PA or West Virginia.

And I still think the flight originated from JFK. Here's a snip of all aircraft at that time over Pennsylvania & New York that Departed JFK

So I'm pretty confident that the location isn't Denver Colorado as stated in the original MUFON report. I'm going to keep trawling through the Flight Data records and Google Earth to see if I can find a match, but any help with Geolocating that image above from Clip 1 would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Mendel]

I still think this is near the Harrisburg area of Pennsylvania.

I can't find a match?

Source:
Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/Pennsylvania/comments/tu1nzu/view_of_pennsylvania_from_space_at_night_photo_by/

 

[Ann K]

I can't find a match?

Maybe approach from here? Harrisburg is down at river level, so a lot of the lights may be obscured by surrounding hills in the oblique view from aircraft.

 

[Easy Muffin]

I still think this is near the Harrisburg area of Pennsylvania.

I don't think it's Harrisburg but a place some 350 km farther west, just over the state border into Ohio. This is a kinda janky overlay but I think it fits alright. The view is towards the NW, the large concentration of lights is the Cleveland metropolitan area. The darker patch behind is Lake Erie.

Lat 40.25507
Lon -80.96646

https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=8/40.2544/-80.9679

Some added placenames.

Unfortunately I've not got enough time at the moment to find a fitting flight but hopefully this will make it easier for someone else.

 

[flarkey]

I can't find a match?

Source:
Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/Pennsylvania/comments/tu1nzu/view_of_pennsylvania_from_space_at_night_photo_by/

Hey @Mendel , thanks for that pic - yes I had found that too but the resolution wasnt great and it didnt help much.

 

[flarkey]

I don't think it's Harrisburg but a place some 350 km farther west, just over the state border into Ohio. This is a kinda janky overlay but I think it fits alright. The view is towards the NW, the large concentration of lights is the Cleveland metropolitan area. The darker patch behind is Lake Erie.

Lat 40.25507
Lon -80.96646

https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=8/40.2544/-80.9679

View attachment 55316

Some added placenames.

View attachment 55317

I think thats a WInner!

Unfortunately I've not got enough time at the moment to find a fitting flight but hopefully this will make it easier for someone else.

So we're looking for a plane, that departed JFK and was south of Canton, Ohio at 2022:09:14 03:32UTC..

Gimme a moment...

 

[flarkey]

I think Jetblue 1623 fits. It flew JFX to LAX

The view matches in Google Earth too...

Edit. Corrected screenshot

 

[flarkey]

So to cross check against all 3 clips

Clip 1 is Above


Clip 2
Creation Date : 2022:09:13 23:17:52-04:00

Seems to fit this view:

Overlay

Clip 3
Creation Date : 2022:09:13 23:24:05-04:00

Work In Progress.

 

[FatPhil]

Wow. You guys amaze me, this is just fantastic. Pixel-perfect matches.

 

[flarkey]

If I plug in the location, date & time for Clip 1 into in-the-sky.org...

Time 2022:09:13 23:32:55-04:00 = 14 Sept 03:33 UTC
Location 40°10'53.14"N 80°55'51.99"W

We can see that there are a number illuminated starlink satellites in the right area of sky (Between the constellation Bootes and Ursa Major). Their motion is up and to the right just as seen in the video. (I'm trying to do a screen capture of this.)

Edit: Increased accuracy of time in screenshots

 

[Ann K]

I don't think it's Harrisburg but a place some 350 km farther west, just over the state border into Ohio. This is a kinda janky overlay but I think it fits alright. The view is towards the NW, the large concentration of lights is the Cleveland metropolitan area. The darker patch behind is Lake Erie.

Damn, you're good! I live right in the middle of that sprawl and didn't recognize it. The darkness of the lake should have been a giveaway.

 

[Z.W. Wolf]

What caught my attention is the reflection in mirrored the sun visor.

 

[Easy Muffin]

Damn, you're good! I live right in the middle of that sprawl and didn't recognize it. The darkness of the lake should have been a giveaway.

Oh I was banking my hopes on it being a large city by a body of water and got lucky that it turned out correct on the first try. Following flarkey's suggestion of a westbound flight out of JFK that really only left Cleveland and Lake Erie as the first obvious candidate and with some alignment in Google Earth the rest fell into place quite fast.
I suppose I would have been out of ideas if it didn't as my quiver was rather empty after I fired that arrow.