PHOENIX LIGHTS UFO INCIDENT
On March 13, 1997, lights were seen in the sky over an area of about 300 miles of Arizona (from its northwest corner to about Tucson) by a number of witnesses. While this date is commonly used for the incident, UFO sightings continue today.
Reports from witnesses seem to many to be contradictory. The first recorded witness recounts the sound of "rushing wind" along with a v-shaped UFO just before 7pm Pacific time. Other observers claim hearing no sound at all. Considering the large incident area, and long time frame, I do not feel these observations conflict. There could have been multiple craft types, including government response jets, and variations in altitude may account for the differences in audio reports.
An unidentified ex-police officer reports seeing five reddish lights (four together with one following) at about 8:15pm.
About one minute later these UFOs are seen in the area of Prescott, about 30 miles south. This means the objects move at about 3 times the speed of sound (no sonic booms were reported). Reports from Prescott have witnesses observing one solid triangular-shaped object, which blocked out the night sky, composed of five other objects, each the size of a 747.
The following was reported to the National UFO Reporting Center (link) "(He was) standing outside with his wife and sons in Prescott Valley, when they noticed a cluster of lights to in the west-northwest of their position. The lights formed a triangular pattern, but all of them appeared to be red, with the exception of the light at the nose of the object, which was distinctly white. The object, or objects, which had been observed for approximately 2-3 minutes with binoculars, then passed directly overhead the observers, they were seen to 'bank to the right,' and they then disappeared in the night sky to the southeast of Prescott Valley."
10 miles south, in Dewey, six travelers leave their car when they see a large craft in the sky, the five adults state that the object was directly above them when they exited. One claimed that the unidentified flying object was larger than his fist when he held it out straight. They reported the object moved too slowly for a conventional plane (he claimed to be a pilot) and was about 1,000 feet off the ground.
In Phoenix the lights were seen above School Rd. and 7th Ave. for about 5 minutes. While one reported the lights being airplanes, others were not so convinced. A number of photos and videos of the UFO were taken at this time.
From here the object(s) moved slowly towards Tucson. Just before reaching the city, witnesses state seeing the lights break apart and move in different directions.
The Air Force claims the lights seen were slow-falling and long-burning flares that they dropped from an A-10 Warthog. While this may explain some of the lights, it's hard to imagine them being behind the actual object many say they clearly saw.
