A pilot ready for take-off at Houston Intercontinental Airport August 3, 2009, watched “a very bright and large red light” UFO that dropped a smaller light to the ground, according to testimony from the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) database.

Washington MUFON Chief Investigator James E. Clarkson, a friend of the pilot, filed the report with MUFON. Clarkson also posted a story at his UFO investigation web site.

As the pilot and co-pilot watched the object, it faded away – but then reappeared shortly and was seen moving in a northeasterly direction and bringing it closer to their location.

They described the object as being a “very bright reddish orange color that was a steady light with no flickering. It appeared to be oval shaped.”

After they were given clearance to take off, the pilot looked out his left cockpit window and watched as the object “suddenly released another smaller red object and again slowly faded away about the time we reached the runway.”

The pilot wanted to alert the tower, but the co-pilot urged him not to say anything. As they turned onto the runway, the object should have then been visible out their right window, but nothing was seen. They climbed out toward the Gulf of Mexico and did not see the object again.

The following is the unedited statement the pilot made to MUFON.

TX, August 3, 2009 – Orange-Red Light releases smaller red light; possibly oval-shaped. MUFON Case # 18662.

The ID of the primary witness is being withheld for professional reasons. The RP is known to me and considered highly releiable and credible. I spoke with the Sr. FI for MUFON in Houston and he recommended I file this report.

See also MUFON Report 18577 from 6 days after this event in Arizona; the events appear to be very similiar.

I have deleted specific location identifiers at the Houston International Airport. I will act as go-between if follow-up is needed.

Here is the account from the RP:

Last night (August 3, 2009) we were taxing out at about 2130L hours late out of Houston Intercontinental Airport and were taxing heading west to a spot (Number deleted). We were told to monitor ground control for taxi clearance to the runway. While waiting for our clearance “we” spotted a very bright and large red light that was about 20 to 30 degrees above the horizon. It was moving slowly and appeared to be descending also very slowly. While watching this light, we saw it drop a smaller red light which fell a few seconds and vanish.

We looked at each other (we being my co-pilot and a jump-seating commuter airline pilot sitting in the cockpit jump seat), and said, “Did you see that?? A few seconds later the large red light slowly faded away and disappeared. We thought, “Oh that was weird” and then the large red light suddenly reappeared. It had moved in a northeasterly direction and was now closer to us.

We couldn’t tell how far this light was but it was very bright reddish orange color that was a steady light with no flickering. It appeared to be oval shaped. As we were watching it we were given clearance to taxi so I started moving slowly trying to keep this object in view out my left cockpit window. Then it suddenly released another smaller red object and again slowly faded away about the time we reached the runway. I desperately wanted to ask the tower if they were watching this and my co-pilot said “NO, don’t say anything!!”. So, I didn’t. We turned onto the runway which would have put this object out the right window but my F/O said he didn’t see anything so we took off on (Deleted Runway Number) and turned to a heading of 125 and climbed out towards the Gulf of Mexico.

This thing was very strange, it was not a police helicopter or military aircraft, there were no nav lights or srobe lights and it was near a very busy airport. I thought it was strange that no one else mentioned this light to the tower. It was very visible and obvious and was very creepy.

I have read similar eye witness accounts and this could not be explained away as mis-identification. I know what it wasn’t but don’t know what it was.

Thought you might be interested and it might also be interesting if anyone in the Houston area reported this thing.

Submitted by:
James Clarkson
MUFON Washington
Chief Investigator

Source: Examiner