The Phoenix Lights

March 13, 1997 — Phoenix, Arizona, USA

The Event

On the evening of March 13, 1997, a series of widely observed unidentified lights appeared over the states of Arizona and Nevada, and the Mexican state of Sonora. The event consisted of two distinct phenomena: a triangular formation of lights that passed overhead, and a series of stationary lights that hung in the Phoenix sky.

The V-Formation

Beginning at approximately 7:55 PM, witnesses in Henderson, Nevada reported a V-shaped or boomerang-shaped formation of lights moving southward. The formation was subsequently observed across the length of Arizona, passing over Prescott, Dewey, and Phoenix. Witnesses consistently described the object as enormous, with estimates ranging from several hundred feet to over a mile in wingspan.

Governor Symington's Testimony

Arizona Governor Fife Symington initially mocked the event at a press conference, having an aide appear in an alien costume. However, in 2007, Symington publicly admitted he had witnessed the lights himself and described the experience as "otherworldly." He stated: "I'm a pilot and I know just about every machine that flies. It was bigger than anything that I've ever seen."

Military Explanation

The US Air Force attributed the second set of lights to illumination flares dropped during a training exercise at the Barry Goldwater Range. However, this explanation does not account for the first event, the massive V-formation that crossed the entire state. Multiple military personnel have privately disputed the official explanation.