"Mystery Missile" Was a Plane, Pentagon Says [View All]

[sabra]

Source: CBS News/AP

Military and Civilian Experts Now Say It Was an Airplane, Not a Missile, that Left Mysterious Vapor Trail off Calif. Coast

(CBS/AP) The Defense Department is now saying that it was an airplane, not a missile, that left a mysterious vapor trail off the coast of Southern California.

"There is no evidence to suggest that this is anything else other than a condensation trail from an aircraft," said Pentagon spokesman Colonel Dave Lapan, who reiterated that there was no threat to America.

The video of what looks for all the world like the contrail of a missile was shot Monday evening by KCBS cameraman Gil Leyvas from a news helicopter over Los Angeles.

"I saw a big plume coming up, rising from looked like beyond the horizon and it continued to grow," Leyvas said.

Meanwhile, an FAA official told CBS News: "We don't know the exact location, trajectory or altitude of the contrail, so we can't determine if it belonged to a specific aircraft."

Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/11/10/national/main7041217.shtml?tag=cbsContent;cbsCarousel