It was about 8:00 or 9:00 PM on August 4, 2000. I was
driving back to Surrey from Vancouver, heading southeast towards the
Massey Tunnel, when I first noticed a very bright light that appeared
stationary in the sky. It decided it must be the landing lights from a far
off jet inbound to Vancouver International Airport.
After I got through the tunnel, I noticed that the
light was still there, and as I got closer to Boundary Bay Airport, I
noticed that the light was much closer than I thought, and it appeared to
be hovering over the airport control tower. Wanting to get a closer look,
I took the highway 10 exit and drove towards Boundary Bay Airport. The
light was very bright and still appeared to be hovering directly over the
control tower. The color of the light was almost a golden color, rather
than white. As I turned east on the road that runs directly east of the
airport, I noticed that the light started to move off in a northeast
direction. At that time it appeared to be about 100 feet in the air as it
crossed the road in front of me. I still could not discern any aircraft
shape because the light was so bright. I thought, “Oh, no, its getting
away”, but then it started to move back over some trees on the right side
of the road ahead of me.
As I got closer, I turned down the radio and opened the
window, hoping to hear the aircraft. At this point, I thought it was
probably a helicopter, perhaps a police helicopter with a bright search
light on. Suddenly, the aircraft swooped over the road in front of me. It
looked like it was no more than ten or twenty feet above the road and was
only a hundred feet or so in front of me. Again the light was too bright
for me to see whether it was a helicopter or airplane. I did see a small
red light and a small blue light. I was thinking that these were
navigation lights, not realizing at that moment that the light should have
been green, not blue.
The aircraft closely swooped over the field and amongst
the trees to the left of me, back towards the airport. I didn’t hear a
sound and didn’t see any movement in the grass or trees from a rotor
wash. I did briefly cath a glimpse of what looked like white plastic or
painted body of the aircraft as it sped away. The aircraft disappeared
behind trees and buildings at the airport and I didn’t get another glimpse
of it.
I feel compelled to believe that it must have been a
police helicopter that was practicing some maneuvers. The light on the
aircraft did not seem to be a directional searchlight, so I am mystified
by that. I also can’t figure out how a helicopter or even an airplane can
pass so close without being heard in the quiet and still night. I also
can’t account for the fact that there was no evidence of rotor-wash from
the aircraft.
