[Phsstpok]

Wind

plus, if it's way high up, that turn ain't so tight, even if the contrail isn't distorted after the fact by wind.

Have you ever seen the smoke trail behind the Shuttle as it goes up? In very short order it's all over the sky, making it look like the thing took a crazy zig zag course.

[sten]

btw, at almost the same time in New Zealand, there was a sonic boom and a fiery object they called a meteorite. there were reports that it 'crash landed' in NZ somewhere. I haven't found any further info.

odd to see objects entering the earth at the same time from different directions.

As for wind turning the object, that's a bit much. i could try to believe a super heat gas venting like a jet turning its direction... but the turn out continue into a spiral and not stop as it levels out.

were there any reports as to the exact trajectory? was it west to east or north to south? anyone see other stories of it impacting somewhere in the US or canada?