Reddit / r/PortalExperiencer
Bright light and helicopter filmed near Whetstone, Arizona
A 47-second video republished September 2 shows a bright aerial light with an illuminated helicopter behind it near Whetstone; a two-helicopter formation with a forward landing light is a strong conventional explanation.
Reviewed and maintained byGlobal UFO Archive Editorial DeskEditorial policy
What the video shows
The vertical night video tracks a saturated white light moving across the sky. A second object behind it resolves more clearly as a helicopter with blinking navigation lights. The lead light remains overexposed, so the recording does not reveal a body or distinctive outline around it.
Witness description
The repost attributes the recording to Alex Wallace at 7:52 p.m. MST on April 24, 2025, and summarizes the original claim as an orb followed by a helicopter. The camera operator's full original post and raw phone file were not supplied with the Reddit copy.
Source and provenance
The local H.264/AAC file is the complete 47-second Reddit video, media ID poaipizkg2nh1. The repost traces it to Wallace's Facebook publication and records the stated place and time. It is a transcoded platform copy rather than camera-original evidence.
Evidence notes
The trailing helicopter is directly visible and provides scale only in an angular sense; the distance between the two targets is unknown. The lead object's saturation hides its lighting pattern. A cited ADS-B review reportedly placed government-registered Airbus H125 helicopter N184R in the area, but that identification cannot be confirmed from pixels alone.
Possible explanations
Two helicopters flying in formation is the leading explanation: a forward-facing landing or search light can appear as a featureless orb, while a trailing aircraft seen at another angle exposes its navigation lights. Flight-track records and the original metadata would be needed for a definitive match.
Verification notes
Complete local video verified and playable. Credibility C reflects a traceable repost and visible aircraft context, with a strong conventional explanation but no definitive flight-track match.