West Coast Drone Sighting?
I’m located in West Seattle and this morning around 1:40 AM, I spotted what appeared to be a large, silent flying object—likely a “drone”—traveling slowly in a S/SE direction at a low altitude.
The craft had a unique lighting setup: it featured a leading light, a tail light, and two conventional wingtip lights, all in white, along with a solitary red beacon underneath. Notably, it lacked a green starboard light. The object was completely soundless and seemed roughly the size of a large sedan or minivan, appearing very low in the night sky.
Being within 10 miles of SeaTac International Airport, my initial assumption was that it was a standard plane. However, the unusual arrangement of navigation lights, the irregular flight path, and the absence of any noise made me reconsider.
If it had been a plane with landing lights on, I wouldn’t have seen them so clearly as it moved away, since landing lights typically shine forward.
I’ve come across several posts in local groups about strange sightings over Elliott Bay, but I haven’t found anything referencing last night’s occurrence.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t get my phone camera ready in time—just human error on my part.
Interestingly, I found some photos online from the East Coast that closely resemble what I saw.
Did anyone else in Seattle notice anything unusual during the early hours of this morning?
That sounds like quite an eerie experience! It’s always intriguing to witness something unusual in the sky, especially when it doesn’t match the typical characteristics of aircraft. The lighting configuration you described does raise some questions, as it doesn’t align with standard aircraft navigation lights.
The lack of sound is particularly noteworthy since most drones and aircraft produce at least some noise. Given that you’re near SeaTac, it’s understandable to consider the possibility of an aircraft, but it sounds like what you saw didn’t fit the bill.
It might have been a drone, especially if it was operating in a quiet urban area, but the size and lights make it sound like it could also have been something else entirely. I wonder if anyone else in the area witnessed the same thing. It could be interesting to see if there are any similar reports from that night from other West Seattle residents. Have you thought about checking local drone or aviation forums for any discussions on unusual sightings? You might find others who experienced something similar!