Object downed by US missile may have been amateur hobbyists’ $12 balloon

Illinois hobby group says balloon went missing the day military missile costing $439,000 destroyed unidentified entity nearby

A group of amateur balloon enthusiasts in Illinois might have solved the mystery of one of the unknown flying objects shot down by the US military last week, a saga that had captivated the nation.

The Northern Illinois Bottlecap Balloon Brigade says one of its hobby craft went missing in action" over Alaska on 11 February, the same day a US F-22 jet downed an unidentified airborne entity not far away above Canada's Yukon territory.