For Renny Rogers, it was strange enough that military jets were flyinglow over his home in Waldorf in the middle of the night. It was what hethinks he saw when he headed outside to look early yesterday that flooredhim.
"It was this object, this light-blue object, traveling at a phenomenalrate of speed," Rogers said. "This Air Force jet was right behind it, chasingit, but the object was just leaving him in the dust. I told my neighbor,'I think those jets are chasing a UFO.' "
Military officials confirm that two F-16 jets from Andrews Air ForceBase were scrambled early yesterday after radar detected an unknown aircraftin area airspace. But they scoff at the idea that the jets were chasinga strange and speedy, blue unidentified flying object.
"We had a track of interest, so we sent up some aircraft," said Maj.Douglas Martin, a spokesman for the North American Aerospace Defense Commandin Colorado, which has responsibility for defending U.S. airspace. "Everythingwas fine in the sky, so they returned home."
At the same time, military officials say they do not know just whatthe jets were chasing, because whatever it was disappeared. "There areany number of scenarios, but we don't know what it was," said Maj. BarryVenable, another spokesman for NORAD.
Radar detected a low, slow-flying aircraft about 1 a.m. yesterday, accordingto a military official. Controllers were unable to establish radio communicationwith the unidentified aircraft, and NORAD was notified. When the F-16scarrying air-to-air missiles were launched from Andrews, the unidentifiedaircraft's track faded from the radar, the military official said, speakingon condition of anonymity.
Pilots with the D.C. Air National Guard's 113th Air Wing, which flewthe F-16s from Andrews, reported nothing out of the ordinary, NORAD officialssaid.
"It was a routine launch," said Lt. Col. Steve Chase, a senior officerwith the wing, which keeps pilots and armed jets on 24-hour alert at Andrewsto respond to incidents as part of an air defense system protecting Washingtonafter the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Rogers remains convinced that what he saw was not routine. "It lookedlike a shooting star with no trailing mist," he said. "I've never seenanything like it."
© 2002 The Washington Post Company
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