Prominent contrail still unexplainedWhat many observers thought was the contrail of a missile or rocket fired off the Southern California coast Monday evening remained a mystery Tuesday, although U.S. officials investigating the matter said it did not pose a threat and was not launched by a foreign military power.
And a Defense Department update Tuesday evening said a review of radar readings showed nothing unusual.
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This image captured by a KCBS News helicopter shows an unidentified projectile launched from an unknown point in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Los Angeles, Nov. 8, 2010. (KCBS)
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A video shot by a CBS news crew from a helicopter that shows the contrail prompted press calls to military officials, but the Defense Department said Tuesday there were no launches of missiles or rockets by the Navy, Air Force or other parts of the military.
Staff Sgt. Tom Doscher, a spokesman for NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, and its U.S. Northern Command gave the following prepared statement:
"NORAD and USNORTHCOM are aware of the unexplained contrail reported off the coast of Southern California yesterday evening. At this time we are unable to provide specific details. We are working to determine the exact nature of this event. We can confirm there is no threat to our nation and to all indications this was not a launch by a foreign military. We will provide more information as it becomes available."
Spokesmen for both Vandenberg Air Force Base and the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station also confirmed separately that the contrail was unrelated to either facility.
The contrail was shot about sunset, and appeared to be 35 miles west of Los Angeles and to the north of Catalina Island, CBS says.
An update from the Department of Defense Tuesday evening said the source of the contrail was still unknown, but that no unusual radar readings were reported by the Federal Aviation Administration even after they were replayed for that time and area.
No foreign missile launches were detected, and no accidental launches were made by U.S., the statement from a Department of Defense spokesman, Col. Dave Lapan.
There also was speculation Tuesday night that the contrail might simply have been that of a jet plane rendered more prominent by the setting sun.
"We are hearing a lot of that," said a NORAD spokesman, Lt. (N) Desmond James, but declined to comment further.
Here is the full text of the Department of Defense statement:
"While there is nothing at this time that leads the Department of Defense to believe this is a missile launch, the department and other US government agencies with expertise in aviation and space continue to look into the condensation trail (CONTRAIL) seen and reported off the coast of southern
California on Monday evening.
"All DoD entities with rocket and missile programs reported no launches, scheduled or inadvertent, during the time period in the area of the reported contrail. NORAD and USNORTHCOM confirmed that it did not monitor any foreign military missile launch off the California coast yesterday and has determined that there was no threat to the US homeland.
"In addition, the FAA ran radar replays from Monday afternoon of a large area west of Los Angeles. Those replays did not reveal any fast-moving, unidentified targets. The FAA also did not receive reports of any unusual sightings from pilots who were flying in the area Monday afternoon.
"If any new information comes to light in the coming days, we will update the press and public."
http://www.ocregister.com/news/military-275147-contrail-coast.html