The Phoenix Lights

On the evening of March 13, 1997, thousands of people across Arizona witnessed one of the largest mass UFO sightings in history. A massive, V-shaped craft passed silently over the state from the Nevada border to Tucson, visible for hours to residents, police officers, pilots, and even the Governor.

The Event

Between approximately 7:30 and 10:30 PM, witnesses across a 300-mile corridor reported seeing unusual lights and a massive structure in the sky. The event is typically divided into two distinct phenomena:

The V-Formation (7:30-8:45 PM): A massive, boomerang or chevron-shaped object passing over Arizona from north to south.

The Stationary Lights (around 10:00 PM): A series of lights appearing to hover over the Phoenix valley, visible for extended periods.

The Craft

Witnesses to the V-formation described:

• Enormous size (estimates ranged from hundreds of feet to a mile or more)
• Perfect V or boomerang shape
• Multiple lights (typically 5-7) in fixed positions
• Silent passage despite apparent proximity
• Stars being blocked out as it passed
• Extremely slow movement

Witness Accounts

Thousands of people observed the phenomenon:

Tim Ley and family: Watched from their backyard as a massive object passed directly overhead, describing it as “absolutely enormous” and completely silent.

Police Officers: Multiple law enforcement personnel across Arizona reported the object.

Pilots: Both commercial and private pilots observed the lights and reported them to air traffic control.

Truck Driver: A driver on Interstate 10 watched a massive craft pass overhead, estimating it was larger than Sun Devil Stadium.

Governor Fife Symington

Arizona Governor Fife Symington initially mocked the sightings at a press conference, bringing out a staff member in an alien costume.

Years later, Symington admitted he had seen the object himself that night and was deeply impressed. He stated: “I’m a pilot and I know just about every machine that flies. It was bigger than anything I’ve ever seen.”

The Military Response

The Air Force eventually claimed the second set of lights (the 10 PM sightings) were flares dropped during a training exercise at the Barry Goldwater Range.

This explanation:

• Didn’t address the V-formation seen earlier
• Was rejected by many witnesses who said flares don’t behave as observed
• Came months after the initial sightings

Investigation

The case was extensively documented:

• Video footage was captured by multiple witnesses
• Local television stations reported extensively
• UFO researchers collected hundreds of witness statements
• Computer analysis attempted to reconstruct the object’s path

Evidence Analysis

The video evidence shows:

• A formation of lights in a consistent V pattern
• Lights appearing to wink out behind a mountain ridge (suggesting they were distant)
• Alternatively, evidence of a single structured object

Significance

The Phoenix Lights event is significant for:

• Thousands of witnesses across hundreds of miles
• Extended duration (multiple hours)
• Multiple videos and photographs
• Police and pilot witnesses
• Governor’s later admission
• Unsatisfying official explanation

Legacy

The Phoenix Lights remain perhaps the most witnessed UFO event in American history. The combination of mass observation, credible witnesses, video evidence, and unsatisfying official explanations created a case that refuses to be dismissed.

March 13 is now commemorated annually in Phoenix with events discussing the sighting. The case has become a benchmark for evaluating mass UFO sightings and official responses to them.