Phoenix Lights
Mass-witness sighting of a series of lights, and a separately reported large V-shaped craft, observed across Arizona during a roughly three-hour window on the evening of March 13, 1997.
The original photographs, video, audio, and supporting documents for this case are hosted by the originating agency. Direct embedding will be added to this page as the corpus is mirrored into our reference archive.
Project Blue Book, Maryland ANG records ↗Official description
Multiple distinct phenomena are typically grouped under the 'Phoenix Lights' name: an early-evening triangular formation reported by witnesses including the late Governor Fife Symington, and a later sequence of stationary lights filmed from multiple locations around 10:00 PM.
Editor's context
Then-Governor Symington publicly disclaimed the event in a press conference at the time, but in 2007 stated he had personally observed the craft and considered it 'otherworldly.' The 10:00 PM lights were officially identified as flares dropped by the Maryland Air National Guard during Operation Snowbird training out of Davis-Monthan AFB.
Prevailing explanation
What scientists and analysts generally think
The 10:00 PM stationary lights are well-documented as parachute flares from Operation Snowbird training. The earlier 8:00 PM triangular formation is more contested: many analysts identify it as a formation of A-10 aircraft also from Snowbird, while witnesses including Governor Symington describe an object inconsistent with conventional aircraft. The case is best treated as two separate events with one well-explained and one open.
In the margins
Transcribed redactions, stamps, and handwritten markings, the paratext of the file. Often the most human part of a declassified document, and worth reading on its own.
- Stampp. training recordsMARYLAND AIR NATIONAL GUARD, OPERATION SNOWBIRD
- StampDAVIS-MONTHAN AFB, A-10 / LUKE AFB COORDINATION
- Annotation10:00 PM event: Flares dropped during Operation Snowbird training. Confirmed by Maryland ANG and Air Force after multiple FOIA requests.
- AnnotationEarlier 8:00 PM event: triangular formation reported by then-Governor Fife Symington and thousands of witnesses. Symington later (2007) stated his observation was 'otherworldly' in nature.
- AnnotationSymington's 1997 press conference deliberately featured an aide in costume to defuse public concern; he later apologized for the framing.
Cite the primary source
Citations center the originating government agency and link to the official record. This archive is listed as the access point, not the author.
U.S. Department of Defense. "Phoenix Lights." Released via PURSUE program, 1997-03-14. https://www.archives.gov/research/military/air-force/ufos. Accessed 2026-05-12 via Social Media for Aliens archive, https://socialmediaforaliens.com/files/phoenix-lights-1997.
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