The Night of March 13 1997
On the evening of March 13, 1997, thousands of people across a 300-mile stretch from Henderson, Nevada, through Phoenix, Arizona, and south to Tucson reported seeing mysterious lights in the sky. The event actually consisted of two distinct phenomena: a triangular formation of lights that passed overhead between approximately 7:30 and 10:30 PM, and a series of stationary lights that appeared over the Phoenix area around 10:00 PM.
The first event involved witnesses reporting a massive V-shaped or boomerang-shaped craft that moved slowly and silently across the state. Observers described the object as being so large that it blocked out the stars behind it, with some estimating it to be over a mile wide. The second event consisted of a row of bright orbs that hovered in the sky south of Phoenix near the Sierra Estrella mountain range before disappearing one by one.
Witness Accounts and Descriptions
The sheer number of witnesses made the Phoenix Lights one of the most well-documented UFO events in history. Witnesses included police officers, pilots, military personnel, and Arizona Governor Fife Symington III, who later admitted he had seen the craft and described it as "otherworldly." Many observers reported that the V-shaped formation moved directly overhead at low altitude, producing no sound whatsoever despite its enormous apparent size.
Truck driver Bill Greiner, who was hauling a load near Luke Air Force Base, reported seeing the formation pass directly over him. He described the lights as amber-colored orbs arranged in a perfect geometric pattern. Tim Ley and his family watched the object approach from their hilltop home in north Phoenix, describing a carpenter's square-shaped craft with five lights that drifted slowly over the city. The consistency of witness descriptions across hundreds of miles added significant credibility to the event.
Official Explanations and Skepticism
The U.S. Air Force attributed the second set of lights to A-10 Warthog aircraft dropping long-duration illumination flares during a training exercise at the Barry Goldwater Range southwest of Phoenix. The Maryland Air National Guard's 104th Fighter Squadron confirmed they had been conducting exercises that evening and had deployed LUU-2B/B flares. This explanation was widely accepted for the stationary lights seen around 10:00 PM.
However, the flare explanation did not account for the earlier V-shaped formation witnessed by thousands across the state between 7:30 and 10:30 PM. Skeptics suggested the first event could have been a formation of conventional aircraft, but witnesses consistently reported a single solid structure rather than separate objects. Governor Symington initially held a press conference mocking the sightings but years later reversed his position, stating publicly that what he saw "defied logic and was a craft of unknown origin."
Phoenix Lights in Modern UFO Research
The Phoenix Lights remain one of the most significant cases in modern UFO research due to the massive number of credible witnesses and the distinct separation between the explainable flare event and the unexplained V-shaped formation. Documentary filmmaker Lynne Kitei, who witnessed and filmed the lights from her home, has devoted decades to investigating the case and produced the documentary "The Phoenix Lights" in 2005.
The case has been featured in numerous television programs and is frequently cited in congressional discussions about unidentified aerial phenomena. A repeat event in 2007 and 2008, also attributed to military flares, renewed public interest and debate. The Phoenix Lights case continues to serve as a benchmark example of a mass sighting event and demonstrates the challenges of investigating UFO reports when both conventional and unconventional explanations may coexist within a single event.
Frequently asked questions
When did the Phoenix Lights happen?
On the evening of Thursday, March 13, 1997, between roughly 7:30 and 10:30 p.m. local time, with reports stretching from southern Nevada across Arizona to the Phoenix area and beyond.
What caused the Phoenix Lights?
There were two events that night. The first was a V-shaped formation of lights seen moving across the state around 8:15–8:45 p.m., which the Air Force attributed to aircraft flying in formation; witnesses describe a single enormous silent craft. The second, around 10 p.m., was a row of lights over the city that were identified as illumination flares dropped by A-10 aircraft of the Maryland Air National Guard over the Barry M. Goldwater Range.
Did Governor Fife Symington see the Phoenix Lights?
Yes. In 1997 he held a press conference mocking the story with an aide in an alien costume; in 2007 he said he had personally seen a large, silent craft that night and had joked to defuse public alarm.
What year were the Phoenix Lights?
1997. The event is sometimes confused with later Arizona sightings, including a 2008 series of lights over Phoenix that was traced to flares tied to helium balloons.