What 4 engine T-tail plane might I have seen?

[PlasticHero]

I don't have a photo, only a description. I live in Pennsylvania USA; I saw a 4 jet engine swept wing plane with a T-tail fly overhead. It had a slender fuselage. It was fairly low; so thumb size. I could not make out any markings, the overall color was grayish. I thought it was a C-141 but wiki says that they are retired. Any other contenders?

 

[Graeme]

the overall color was grayish.

Military?

 

[nuuumannn]

Ilyushin Il-76? If it's not a C-17 or C-5, not sure what else.

 

[special ed]

H.S. (BAE) 146

 

[vikingBerserker]

First thought would be a C-17, but it and the C-5 are definitely not slender.

 

[PlasticHero]

Here is a sketch showing what I think I saw.

The 146 is close, but it seemed larger than that, and the engines were slender. An Il-76 would be a very rare sighting low over Pennsylvania. I'm about 60 miles SE of Harrisburg where there is an ANG base. I've seen A-10 and elint C-130 quite often.
When I read that C-141 had been retired, I did not look at any pictures, I didn't want to move my memory. After doing this sketch, I did, and it did look a lot like this.

I was not as well lit from the bottom, so I don't recall the landing gear bulges.

 

[vikingBerserker]

I wonder if any National Guard units or Wright Patterson/NASA still flies a C-141

 

[GrauGeist]

I wonder if any National Guard units or Wright Patterson/NASA still flies a C-141

I beleive NASA's L-300 (C-141) was retired in '95 - plus it was painted in NASA's white livery.
It was a solid aircraft for it's time, so there might be one or two still serving with an ANG unit or perhaps the one seen was being transferred between museums?

 

[wh1skea]

I agree with special ed. It was probably a BAe 146

British Aerospace 146

 

[PlasticHero]

Different AC but this time I have proof!! Air Force 1.
View attachment 631806
This was on Thursday, on Friday saw 2 A-10s.

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

That's a -141, the main-gear sponsons and fuselage tail are giveaways. Hard to imagine one flying this era, though.