The NSRI in Port Elizabeth were requested by Air Traffic Control to investigate the sighting of an unidentified flying object on Monday night.
A Boeing 737 cargo aircraft Captain and Co-Pilot, flying from Cape Town International Airport to Port Elizabeth International Airport, reported seeing what appeared to be a green object increasing in altitude past the cockpit of their aeroplane reaching to about a thousand feet into clouds above them and then returning towards earth at high speed past the cockpit of the aeroplane.
The sighting was reported to Air Traffic Control at Port Elizabeth International Airport who requested NSRI's assistance to investigate the possibility that an aircraft or craft may be in difficulty.
NSRI Jeffrey's Bay were alerted and although the matter was monitored throughout the night the green object has not been seen since and there are no reports of anyone, or craft or aircraft overdue or missing.
The incident occurred approximately 10 nautical miles off-shore of Jeffreys Bay and 3000 feet in the sky (1000 meters) - at first thinking this to perhaps be a 1000 foot green parachute flare but that was discounted as a 1000 foot parachute flare (or 300 meters) cannot reach that height.
No further reports of sightings have been received and the incident remains a mystery.
Issued by NSRI
