Flashing lights over Cumbernauld

Report of flashing lights in Cumbernauld on  2nd October 2024

The witness confirmed that they were looking north, away from a bank of trees on their right. 

Glasgow airport is West-South-West of the sighting location.  Most aircraft flightpaths seem to pass to the South of the location rather than the North.  However, some would cross this line of sight.

Cumbernauld airport is less than a mile to the South of the location.  Cumbernauld airport houses small private aircraft and helicopters.

The sighting took place in a residential area with a few businesses or industrial buildings close-by and rural space beyond.  None of the local businesses identified seem to use drones or aircraft regularly except for Cumbernauld airport.

No unusual events have been identified as taking place near Cumbernauld on that evening and there do not appear to be any specific locations where regular events using lights or equipment take place.

The sky was clear and there was a moderate breeze from the North-East.

Description of lights

The lights are described as white, red, and possibly green, which are the colours used on aircraft and drones.  These colours make it unlikely that the object was a celestial object or a satellite.

The lights were flashing much faster than usual, were moving more slowly than usual and no engine sound could be heard.

Aircraft lights can flash in different patterns and at different speeds depending on the manufacturer.  Some flash once and some have a double flash.  There are no specific rules about the pattern of flashing lights, but they must flash between 40-100 times per minute. Where the lights overlap this can increase the flashes to 180 per minute.  Larger aircraft tend to have more flashing lights than smaller ones.  Military craft can have different flashes to help the pilots identify the type of aircraft.

This means that it is possible that an aircraft or drone seen from certain angles could appear to be flashing several times faster than others (between 40 flashes per minute and 180 flashes per minute).

If the aircraft was moving towards the witness, it could appear slower than usual, particularly if there are few large aircraft that are seen coming from that direction.

The sound of aircraft can be affected by the wind speed and direction as well as the direction the aircraft is traveling in. 

Assessment based on current information

All of these factors mean that it is not possible to rule out this object being an aircraft or drone on this occasion with the information that we have available at the moment.  If more information comes to light or if the witness is able to view other aircraft from that direction over a period of time, we may be able to make further assessments.

Carolyn Bruce

BUFORA Accredited Investigator