Alaskans took to social media to document the dark gray column of smoke tunneling over Lazy Mountain.
While the unusual formation worried enough of them to report it to Alaska State Troopers on Thursday, authorities said what onlookers saw was simply a condensation trail from an airplane that had safely passed through.
“Troopers believe that the photos and videos showed a contrail from the commercial jet combined with the rising sun which together caused the unique atmospheric sight,” an advisory from the troopers read.
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“There have been no reports of overdue aircraft or ELT activations indicating an aircraft crash,” it continued. “A rescue team on a helicopter flew a mission around the Lazy Mountain area this morning and located nothing suspicious and there were no signs of crashed aircraft.”
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Despite the trail’s smoky appearance, the plane that left it arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York without a problem, according to law enforcement. They were able to contact the plane that left the trail before it landed at the airport.
