UFO. New Zealand

Date: Friday 6 February 2009

Time: approx 10.50 pm

Location: Observed from Morrinsville, over Mount Te Aroha, North Island

Features/characteristics: two pink orbs; three white lights forming a triangular configuration

Description:

Two witnesses were looking from the township of Morrinsville, in the direction of the township of Te Aroha, which lies at the foot of Mount Te Aroha, at the northern end of the Kaimai Ranges. They observed two strange lights stationary in the sky over the ranges between the aerial on top of Mount Te Aroha, and the waterfalls to the south of the aerial. The lights were separated by several kilometers. They described the lights as, “Extremely big and bright, and pink in colour. They were in the sky slightly above the mountain and were visible for 10-20 seconds,” after which the lights moved away and downwards behind the ranges (to the Katikati, Bay of Plenty side). The witnesses stated these lights were not to be confused with the small red light on top of the aerial on Mount Te Aroha.

Only seconds after this sighting the witnesses looked across the sky and observed 3 small white lights in a triangular formation. They described the speed of this formation of lights as similar to the speed of a satellite (quite slow). The lights were heading from the direction of the city of Hamilton, in a northerly direction towards the mountain, where the two bright pink lights were seen. The witnesses guessed the lights must be 3 aircraft high in the sky travelling close together in formation. They watched the lights for 2-3 minutes until they disappeared from view beyond the ranges where the two pink lights had disappeared. The witnesses rang the Te Aroha Police Station, and the Operations Manager at Hamilton International Airport, however no explanations were offered. They also rang the Te Aroha Information Centre on Monday, without results.

Having no logical explanation, the witnesses thought the pink lights must have been flares, although the lights they observed were much bigger than flares. They also guessed that the triangular formation of white lights must have been military aircraft of some sort, perhaps associated with the two pink ‘flares’. However, neither of these explanations seemed adequate. The witnesses stated, “We would like to know if there is a logical explanation to this bizarre experience. We have never seen anything like it before.”

Ufocus NZ comment: This sighting report was forwarded to Ufocus NZ from Hamilton International Airport, and we have interviewed the witnesses.

Hamilton International Airport ATC Graeme Opie stated the two pink lights were not aircraft, and nor was the triangular formation of three white lights. The lights were not international, domestic or military aircraft, and it was not a search and rescue operation involving flares and aircraft.

At high altitude, aircraft landing lights would be dim or barely visible, and the lights were headed in the opposite direction from the nearest airport. If the formation of 3 lights had been aircraft landing lights, the lights would no longer be seen by the witnesses as the aircraft passed over and moved away from them. These lights remained visible until they disappeared from view beyond the mountains, indicating that the lights were likely to have been on the bottom surface of an object, rather than facing forward like aircraft landing lights.