Report of lights in Croydon on 22nd March 2024

The sighting took place late in the evening of Friday 22nd March 2024.  The weather was largely clear with passing clouds and the temperature was cold but above freezing.

The sighting was of 5 or 6 bright red flashing red lights viewed through a window. 

When asked whether they could identify the shape of an object, the witness felt that they formed the shape of a triangle.  The lights were about the same height as aircraft and travelled at around the same speed as an aircraft.  The lights travelled from the East to the West.

The location is a busy built-up area with a number of large buildings in the direction of the lights, including a small park, hospital and rugby stadium.

Possible causes:

Flashing red lights at the height and speed of an aircraft and along the flight path between Heathrow and Gatwick could indicate that this was an aircraft or helicopter viewed from an unusual angle.  Viewing the lights through a window can distort the image but it is unlikely that an aircraft could have appeared as 5 or 6 red lights and the witness regularly sees aircraft in this location and is unlikely to have mistaken them. 

Multiple red lights are often attached to equipment as a form of warning for other air users.  In this case the lights were moving quite rapidly in the sky which indicates an airborne object.  The location is close to the Heathrow weather station which does conduct experiments which could involve equipment with lights, however, it is less likely that this would have been taking place late in the evening over residential property.

The most likely cause of multiple red lights in the night sky would be a drone.  Drones usually have at least 4 lights, sometimes all red and can have additional lights, searchlights or other attachments.  Drones can be used for a variety of reasons, including domestic flying, police searches and monitoring or for entertainment purposes.  It is unlikely that domestic drone lights would have been flashing but not impossible.  Viewing lights through a window can make them appear to be flickering but it is unlikely that it would make them appear to flash in a more distinct way.

Possible drone uses in this area:

It is possible that a drone was being used in the area for domestic or commercial purposes, although less likely at 11pm.  For the lights to have been as bright and large as indicated by the witness the drone would have been quite close to the property, limiting its possible departure location. 

The police regularly use drones but they would usually use a white searchlight and the lights would not usually flash.

A large festival was taking place locally on that evening and drones are often used to take footage from above the crowd. The festival was some distance away and was slightly off to the side so unlikely to be in the line of sight.

Other factors

There are no other references in the media to lights on the evening of 22nd March 2024 or of similar sighting in this area which the exception of an incident in December 2022 when a drone came close to a passenger aircraft.  This is particularly unusual as drones are not permitted above 400 feet or close to airports. I was unable to identify where that drone was thought to have come from.

The witness seems to have a good understanding of the night sky having been watching for a fly past of the ISS shortly before the sighting and understanding the regular flight paths.

The witness had seen images of a sighting over an American airbase which they felt was exactly the same configuration of lights that they had seen on 22nd March but was unable to remember more details of the incident.  Human memory is very susceptible to change and our recollection of an event can be influenced by things that we see or learn.  The sighting was not recorded at the time and so it is possible that the memory of the lights, particularly the number, brightness or shape of the lights could have been influenced by this report or other research that was carried out.

Conclusion:

While the height and speed of the lights indicates an aircraft of some kind, this seems unlikely given the number of lights.

The use of drones is continually increasing and so we cannot discount that this was the cause of the sighting, but the time of day, size and flashing of the lights makes this less likely.

With the information that we have it is not possible to confirm exactly what caused the sighting of lights but I will continue to monitor media and note if any other reports are made in the future.

Report by Carolyn Bruce, BUFORA Accredited Investigator