The Phoenix Lights

On the evening of March 13, 1997, thousands of people across a 300-mile stretch of Arizona witnessed one of the largest mass UFO sightings in history. A formation of lights—described by many as attached to an enormous V-shaped craft—passed silently over the state, from the Nevada border to Tucson. The event produced thousands of witnesses, video footage, and a government response that became as controversial as the sighting itself.

The Sightings

The Timeline

6:55 PM — Henderson, Nevada: A man reported seeing a large V-shaped object with six lights on its leading edge.

7:30 PM — Paulden, Arizona: A former police officer reported a cluster of reddish-orange lights in a V formation.

8:00 PM — Prescott, Arizona: Multiple witnesses saw a large triangular formation of lights pass overhead. Some described the lights as attached to a massive solid object that blocked out stars as it moved.

8:15 PM — Dewey, Arizona: Witnesses reported the V-shaped formation continuing southeast.

8:17 PM — Prescott Valley: More reports of the massive object. Witnesses described it as moving slowly and silently.

8:30 PM — Phoenix Metropolitan Area: The object reached Phoenix. Thousands of people saw it. Traffic stopped. People got out of their cars to watch. The lights passed directly over the city.

8:45 PM — South of Phoenix: Witnesses in the South Mountain area and beyond continued to report the lights.

10:00 PM — Phoenix (Second Event): A second set of lights appeared over the Estrella Mountains southwest of Phoenix. These were later officially attributed to military flares.

What People Saw

The First Event (The V-Formation):

Witnesses consistently described:

• A V-shaped or boomerang-shaped formation of lights
• Five to seven lights, amber or orange in color
• Silent passage overhead
• An estimated size of 300 feet to over a mile across
• Blocking out stars as it passed (indicating solid structure)
• Moving slowly (some estimated 30-40 mph)
• Taking 2-3 minutes to pass over individual observers

Notable Witness Accounts:

Tim Ley and Family: Watched the object for over five minutes as it passed directly overhead. They described it as massive—perhaps a mile across—and completely silent. The object blocked out the stars behind it.

Dr. Lynne Kitei: A physician who filmed the lights and later wrote The Phoenix Lights book and produced a documentary. She described amber orbs that maintained perfect formation.

Fife Symington III: The Governor of Arizona (see below).

Thousands of Others: Estimates suggest over 10,000 people witnessed the event. Calls flooded police stations, military bases, and local news stations.

The Official Response

Initial Silence

In the immediate aftermath, official sources were quiet. The Air Force and Luke Air Force Base declined comment. Arizona authorities had no explanation.

The Flare Explanation

On June 19, 1997—three months after the event—the Air Force released a statement: the lights seen over Phoenix at 10:00 PM were flares dropped during a training exercise by Maryland Air National Guard A-10 aircraft at the Barry Goldwater Range.

Problems with This Explanation:

• It addressed only the 10:00 PM sighting, not the 8:30 PM V-formation
• Witnesses insisted the earlier event was different from the later flares
• Military flares drift and descend; the 8:30 lights maintained formation
• Flares don’t block out stars
• The flare explanation was offered months after the fact

Governor Fife Symington’s Press Conference

On June 19, 1997, Governor Fife Symington III held a press conference to address public concern about the lights. His chief of staff entered wearing an alien costume.

“This just goes to show that you guys are entirely too serious,” Symington told reporters, laughing.

The mockery infuriated witnesses who had reported what they believed was a genuine unknown phenomenon.

The Governor’s Confession

In 2007—ten years later—Symington dropped a bombshell.

In an interview and subsequent documentary appearances, the former governor admitted:

• He had personally witnessed the V-shaped object that night
• He had gone outside specifically to observe it
• It was “enormous” and “inexplicable”
• He believed it was “some form of alien spacecraft”
• He held the mocking press conference under political pressure

Symington’s Statement: “I’m a pilot, and I know just about every machine that flies. It was bigger than anything I’ve ever seen. It remains a great mystery. Other people saw it, responsible people. I don’t know why people would ridicule them.”

Analysis

Two Separate Events?

Most researchers now believe March 13, 1997 featured TWO distinct events:

8:30 PM — The V-Formation: An unknown object or formation that traveled across Arizona. Described as solid, massive, and silent. This remains unexplained.

10:00 PM — The Flares: Military flares dropped during a training exercise. These appeared to hover due to parachute deployment. The Air Force explanation likely applies to this event.

The conflation of these two events has muddied understanding of the Phoenix Lights ever since.

Video Evidence

Multiple videos exist of the lights:

• Most were shot during the 10:00 PM event (the probable flares)
• Few clear videos exist of the 8:30 PM V-formation
• The darkness and size of the object made photography difficult

Witness Credibility

The Phoenix Lights case is notable for the quality and quantity of witnesses:

• Tens of thousands of people
• Multiple independent reports
• Consistent descriptions
• Credible observers (pilots, police, doctors, the governor)
• Reports spanning 300 miles

Theories

Conventional Explanations

Military Aircraft in Formation: Could the lights have been aircraft flying in V-formation? Witnesses counter that:

• No engine noise was heard
• The object blocked stars (indicating solid structure)
• No conventional aircraft matches the size described

High-Altitude Flares: The Air Force explanation. Possibly applies to the 10:00 PM event but doesn’t address the earlier sighting.

Mass Hallucination: Difficult to apply to thousands of independent witnesses across 300 miles.

Unconventional Explanations

Extraterrestrial Craft: The most popular theory among believers. The size, silence, and flight characteristics suggest technology beyond current human capability.

Secret Military Technology: Perhaps the U.S. military was testing advanced aircraft. However:

• Why fly it over a major metropolitan area?
• Nothing matching the description has been revealed in 25+ years
• The governor (with security clearances) called it inexplicable

Atmospheric Phenomenon: Some unusual natural light phenomenon. No atmospheric scientist has proposed a mechanism that matches witness descriptions.

Legacy

Impact on UFO Research

The Phoenix Lights became one of the landmark UFO cases:

• Massive number of credible witnesses
• Duration of observation
• Geographic spread
• Physical characteristics described
• Video evidence (however limited)
• Government official’s later confirmation

The Anniversary

Every March 13, Phoenix residents gather to commemorate the event. Some hold skywatch vigils. The city has embraced its connection to the phenomenon.

Continuing Mystery

The Phoenix Lights remain officially unexplained. The Air Force addressed only the 10:00 PM flares. The 8:30 PM V-formation—the event most witnesses find compelling—has never been officially acknowledged.

What Flew Over Phoenix?

On March 13, 1997, something crossed Arizona. Thousands saw it. The governor saw it. Pilots, police officers, doctors, and ordinary citizens all saw it.

It was huge. It was silent. It blocked out the stars.

And despite being witnessed by more people than almost any UFO event in history, we still don’t know what it was.

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The Phoenix Lights didn’t appear in an isolated area with a single witness who might be dismissed. They appeared over a major American city, witnessed by thousands, videotaped multiple times, and acknowledged by the state’s governor. Whatever passed over Arizona that night, it remains one of the most witnessed and least explained aerial phenomena in modern history.