[meteorite-list] Mysterious Lights, Boom Baffle Residents in Indiana

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2008 16:59:42 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <200804182359.QAA24928_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.theindychannel.com/news/15907638/detail.html

Mysterious Lights, Boom Baffle Residents, Authorities
Bright Lights, Loud Boom Reported In 2 Indiana Counties
The Indy Channel
April 17, 2008

Reports of lights in the sky, crashes and vibrations on the ground
baffled residents, who began calling authorities right after the
rumblings at about 10:30 p.m.

Calls flooded dispatch centers and 6News from people concerned that what
they had seen and heard might have been a crashing plane, a meteorite or
something else.

Many said the light display was followed by an explosion -- a boom that
shook their homes. A slight metallic smell was reported in Kokomo
shortly after the incident.

Crews scoured a field near U.S. 31 and County Road 300 North in Tipton
County, but found nothing, 6News' Derrik Thomas reported.

"I had heard the boom. It kind of woke me up," said veterinarian Dr.
Jack Hughes. "It was louder than anything I'd heard before. You would
think a sonic boom from a jet, or something like that. This was big."

Hughes' clinic is near the area crews searched for any sign of debris.
Indiana State Police and local sheriff's departments dispatched at least
50 emergency responders to the scene.

"We had civilians report things falling from the sky, almost consistent
with something like flares or sparks," said ISP Sgt. Jeremy Kelly.
"Also, very consistent with a meteor shower. If we had to guess what it
was, that's what we would say."

David McDonald said he was startled by what he thought was someone
shooting a gun behind his house.

"It was totally eerie. What could make that kind of a noise and justify
that kind of a response?" McDonald said.

The Federal Aviation Administration said early Thursday that there were
no reports of missing planes. No debris was found.
Received on Fri 18 Apr 2008 07:59:42 PM PDT