Summary:
The Phoenix Lights, witnessed on the evening of March 13, 1997, is one of the most significant and widely observed UFO events in modern history. Thousands of residents across Arizona, Nevada, and parts of Mexico reported seeing massive V-shaped formations of lights silently gliding across the sky. Witnesses, including then-Governor Fife Symington—a trained Air Force veteran and pilot—described the craft as "otherworldly," "breathtaking," and "like an aircraft carrier in the sky." The event included reports from commercial airline pilots who stated the object was so large it seemed they could have landed on it. The craft, described as larger than multiple football fields, blocked out stars as it passed overhead. Despite initial explanations ranging from military flares to misidentified aircraft, the sheer scale of the sightings and the credibility of witnesses make the Phoenix Lights a cornerstone in UFO investigations.
Why It Matters:
The Phoenix Lights case demonstrates the profound technological disparity between conventional human capabilities and what was observed that night. It stands out for the number of credible witnesses, including trained pilots and high-ranking officials, as well as the event’s extraordinary scale. The case continues to raise critical questions about the nature of UFO phenomena and government transparency.
At approximately 8:00 PM on March 13, 1997, residents across a 300-mile stretch in the southwestern United States began reporting unusual lights in the sky. The phenomenon started near Henderson, Nevada, where a witness described six large lights traveling south. As the formation moved across Arizona, more witnesses observed the lights forming a massive V-shaped pattern.
By 8:30 PM, the lights were seen over the Phoenix metropolitan area. Thousands of residents described the craft as enormous, blocking out stars as it passed. Witnesses reported it moved silently and slowly, with some estimating its size to be over a mile wide. Pilots aboard an America West commercial flight reported seeing the craft, describing it as so large they “could have landed on it.” The lights maintained a rigid formation, ruling out the possibility of separate aircraft.
Then-Governor Fife Symington secretly ventured out to observe the lights for himself. A trained pilot and former Air Force officer, Symington later called the craft "otherworldly," "unquestionably a UFO," and "like an aircraft carrier in the sky." He described its silence as unnerving and noted, “The disparity in terms of technological progress would be so vast, that we would be… of no consequence to whoever is visiting us.”
Hours after the initial sightings, the Arizona National Guard conducted a flare drop as part of routine training exercises. The military later claimed these flares were the source of the lights over Phoenix. However, witnesses disputed this explanation, noting that the flares appeared hours after the initial sightings and behaved differently than the structured V-formation.
The event gained national attention when local news stations broadcast footage of the lights. Symington initially downplayed the incident, holding a press conference where an aide dressed as an alien. Years later, he admitted his lighthearted approach was an attempt to calm the public, but he himself was awestruck by the craft.
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