Appearance / Description of Object(s)

The object was a black equilateral triangle with round white lights that were slightly blue at each of the 3 corners. The lights were large relative to the size of the object. The lights at the trailing rear corners were too far apart to be suspended from the fuselage of a conventional helicopter. It hovered at approximately 30 mph. The most notable thing about this sighting was the noise. A high pitched whirring sound that suggested RPM's higher than that of a Dremel rotary tool but also a deep, powerful and constant bass tone that made the ground vibrate slightly. It did not have the classic 'thunka thunka' noise of helicopter blades.

Size of Object(s)

Relative size: 14 inches Actual size: 60 feet long (height of equilateral triangle)

Distance to Object(s) & Altitude

Altitude: 300 - 400 feet Distance: 400 - 500 feet

Description of Area / Surroundings

It was a suburban area evacuated for a hurricane.

Full Description & Details

About 15 days after Hurricane Katrina flooded New Orleans I was able to move back into my home in the Metairie area. But I was only 1 of 4 people who spent the night on our mile long block. The population density was maybe 15 people per square mile at the time, much lower than normal. Nothing was open; there was no food or gas and no one had a job to come back to. Also there were still reports of looting and other crime so I'm sure that kept people away as well.

At the time helicopters of all sort passed routinely. A 'chopper would come by once every 5 minutes during the day but at night they were much more rare. They were still running rescue operations in and out of New Orleans and it took them almost directly over my house.

Everything from Blackhawks to Chinooks to news helicopters were flying over. The point is I was getting very accustomed to the sound of it all. The National Guard in their Humvee's and larger transports were also routine to see. (This all has a point that I bring up later)

One morning about 2 AM - I woke up to a very weird noise. The best way I can describe it is that it sounded like a 1000 HP vacuum cleaner outside of my window. I imagine it woke me up because of the volume at first but as I was lying in bed wondering what type of helicopter it must be, it occured to me that it didn't sound like a helicopter. It didn't have the 'thunka thunka thunka' of the helicopter blades. Instead just a very high pitched whine and a deep, very deep bass tone along with it. The bass was deep enough and powerful enough that I could feel it inside my body.

Curiousity got the best of me and I decided to go outside and take a look. I remember thinking as I walked to the front door that I was going to see some new cool military helicopter, something for night surveillance maybe to watch for looters. But I also kept thinking that it was just too odd sounding. I remember laughing a bit to myself thinking what if I open this door and it's something I can't identify, a UFO even.

Well it turns out I can't identify it. It's been almost a year since I saw it. Now and then I get curious again and I search the internet for new military aircraft thinking that I'll figure out what it was eventually. Still no luck though. Finally I decided to look through UFO sightings. Ha! It's spot on with a sighting that you have in your database that took place in Kingston, Ontario January 24, 2003. I guess I saw a triangle UFO.

Eventhough it was a while ago I can still remember it very clearly, at least I believe I can. It was about 300-400 feet over my house and moved slowly with one point of the triangle leading the way. It had a light on each of the 3 corners. Each light was almost white but a little bit toward the blue side of the spectrum. Unfortunately there was no moonlight and try as I did to see the object itself I couldn't make out much. It was an equilateral triangle though, I could see a dark outline.

If it was indeed 300-400 feet up, it had to be about as large as my 2500 sq. ft. house. If it were somewhat lower it was still larger than a Chinook. Because it was hovering slowly it probably wasn't an airplane? I kept trying to make it into a helicopter of some sort, like one of the many that I had seen flying over during the day. But the white lights on the trailing edges of the triangle were much too far apart. They were as far apart as the wings of an airplane but it was hovering, slowly, remember? I stared at it the whole time it cruised away, maybe 3 minutes until I was looking at it edge on and the lights slowly disappeared.

I keep trying to convince myself it had to be a military surveillance aircraft but I can't find any reference to anything that could possibly light up like this thing did. So maybe it's a still secret aircraft? If so why fly so low and make yourself so obvious? The high-pitched whining was definitely mechanical but the RPM's that it suggested must have been very high. Also the way it was accompanied by the deep powerful bass was like nothing I've ever heard and felt.

I'm a chemist and I'm skeptical by nature. I only accept empirical evidence when it comes to anything of any importance. So I'm not suggesting this thing was alien or extraterrestrial or any of the other far-out things synonymous with UFO's. I can't say that I experienced radiation sickness or that my watch stopped or ran backwards (actually I didn't think to look). I told my friends and family about it soon after. It was fleeting. At the time we all had a lot more to worry about with rebuilding our lives after the hurricane.

I have to say that eventhough it's been a year ago it still peeks my curiosity when I think about it. And it puzzles me that I have yet to find a suitable explanation!

Can sighting be explained as any conventional man-made or natural object?

It could be a man-made mechanical object.

Witness Background

B.A. in Environmental Chemistry

Views on UFOs, before and after sighting

Before my sighting I was curious about UFO's but I believed the majority of people lie about or exaggerate their experience. I believe there is no empirical evidence currently in the public record for UFO's being of extraterrestrial origin. However, the idea of alien life is something that even NASA researches. And I believe that it is not a ludicrous idea. The only thing that has changed for me after having a sighting myself, is that I wonder now if more people are telling the truth about UFO encounters than I originally thought.

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