By Marcus Halloway · Published May 8, 2026 · Updated May 8, 2026
On the night of March 13, 1997, two distinct aerial events crossed the Arizona sky and got fused into a single legend. The first was a silent V-formation of lights tracking south from Henderson, Nevada, into the Phoenix metro between roughly 8:00 and 8:45 PM. The second, near 10:00 PM, was a row of stationary lights hovering over the southwest horizon. The U.S. Air Force eventually attributed the 10:00 PM event to A-10 illumination flares dropped by Maryland Air National Guard pilots over the Barry M. Goldwater Range. The earlier V-formation has no comparable on-the-record explanation. Governor Fife Symington III spoofed the sightings at a 1997 press conference, then publicly confirmed in 2007 that he had personally watched the V-formation pass overhead and considered it inexplicable.
What Happened Over Arizona on March 13, 1997
Two events. One legend. The conflation matters because the documentary record splits them cleanly, and any honest treatment has to follow the split.
The first event began at 7:55 PM Mountain Standard Time when a witness in Henderson, Nevada, reported a large V-shaped object moving southeast [1]. At 8:15 PM, a former police officer in Paulden, Arizona, called in a cluster of reddish-orange lights on the southern horizon [1]. Witnesses in Prescott Valley, Dewey, Cordes Junction, and the northern Phoenix metro reported the same object between roughly 8:15 and 8:45 PM, a chevron or carpenter’s-square formation that moved silently from north to south. Estimates of size varied wildly. Some said a city block. Some said a mile. The unifying detail across statements is the silence, the slow track, and the absence of standard navigation lights.
The second event began near 10:00 PM. Residents across the Phoenix metro reported a row of brilliant lights hovering, then slowly falling, over the southwest horizon [1][2]. Photographs and amateur video from this window are the most-circulated images associated with the case. The two events are separated by roughly an hour and by different geometry: the V-formation moved; the 10:00 PM lights were stationary, then descended.
Witness Volume and the Hale-Bopp Context
The night sky was already drawing eyes. Comet Hale-Bopp was at near-peak visibility, and tens of thousands of Arizonans were outside watching it [3]. That context sharpens the witness pool. Many of the people who reported the V-formation were already stargazing, telescope-equipped, and reasonably calibrated to what normal aircraft running lights look like. Author Robert Sheaffer, a skeptic, has called the event “perhaps the most widely witnessed UFO event in history” [1] — a description offered without endorsement of any extraterrestrial reading.
The 10:00 PM Event: The On-The-Record Military Explanation
The 10:00 PM stationary lights have a documented attribution. On July 25, 1997, the Air Force formally identified them as illumination flares dropped by A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft training over the Barry M. Goldwater Range in southwest Arizona [4]. The aircraft were assigned to Operation Snowbird, a winter pilot-training program that rotated Air National Guard squadrons through Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson. The flares were LUU-2B/B parachute illumination rounds. Their behavior on parachute descent — slowing, drifting, sometimes appearing to hover as rising heat distorts the parachute envelope — matches the visual reports [1].
A decade later, in March 2007, Maryland Air National Guard Lt. Col. Ed Jones confirmed in a media interview that he flew one of the A-10s in the formation that dropped flares that night [1]. His squadron, the 104th Fighter Squadron of the 175th Fighter Wing, was deployed to Davis-Monthan for Operation Snowbird and flew training sorties to the Goldwater Range on March 13. The Maryland ANG corroborated the deployment and the sortie record [1].
An earlier May 1, 1997 Luke Air Force Base FOIA response had stated that no Luke aircraft were involved and that the base had not told the press the cause was “aerial flares” [1]. That document is consistent with the later attribution: the flare-dropping aircraft were transient ANG units operating out of Davis-Monthan, not Luke. The distinction is small. The point of citing it is that the public-record chain on the 10:00 PM event is unbroken from May 1997 through March 2007.
The 8:30 PM V-Formation: What the Record Does Not Settle
The earlier V-formation is harder. The record contains genuine signal in several directions, and they do not converge.
In one corner: amateur astronomer Mitch Stanley, a 21-year-old in Scottsdale, observed the formation through a 10-inch Dobsonian telescope at roughly 60x magnification [1]. Stanley reported that the apparent single object resolved into multiple aircraft with wing-mounted lights. He watched for about a minute and turned away, telling his mother, “They were just planes.” Stanley’s observation is the strongest single piece of evidence that the V-formation was conventional aircraft flying in tight formation at altitude — a reading consistent with the Air Force’s later remark that A-10s flying south to Davis-Monthan that night may also account for some earlier sightings.
In another corner: Governor Fife Symington III. Symington was an Air Force veteran and licensed pilot. In a March 2007 statement that he repeated to CNN and other outlets, he said he watched the V-formation pass overhead from the back yard of his Phoenix home, that it appeared to be a single solid craft of considerable size, and that nothing in his aviation experience matched it [5][6]. He did not claim to know what it was. He said he kept quiet for a decade because he did not want to fuel public hysteria — and that he regretted his 1997 alien-costume press conference, in which his chief of staff Jay Heiler was paraded out in a costume and “unmasked” [5][6].
In a third corner: Frances Barwood. Then a Phoenix City Councilwoman and Vice Mayor, Barwood was the first elected official to call publicly for an inquiry. She made the request in May 1997. By her own count, her office logged roughly 700 witness contacts asking the city to investigate [7]. No formal city or state inquiry was ever conducted. Symington’s promise of “a full investigation” did not produce a public report. Barwood’s office was reportedly mocked by colleagues — signs taped to her photograph, a “speak into the tin foil” business-card joke [7]. The political record on the case ends there.
What Stanley’s Telescope Does and Does Not Tell Us
A 10-inch Dobsonian at 60x magnification will resolve aircraft running lights from one another at altitude. Stanley’s account is detailed, specific, and consistent. It is the strongest single witness statement against an unconventional-craft reading of the V-formation.
It is also a single witness statement at one moment, looking at one phase of the formation’s track. The formation was reported across roughly thirty minutes and several hundred miles of terrain. Stanley’s data point is decisive about what he saw at his moment; it is not by itself decisive about every report along the track. That is a careful distinction, not a hedge. The case for an aircraft explanation rests on Stanley plus the operational plausibility of A-10s in formation flying south. The case for a single coherent unconventional craft rests on the volume of witness reports describing one continuous object — and on Symington’s later, named, on-record statement.
Symington’s 1997 Spoof and 2007 Reversal
The political theater around the case is part of the documentary record and worth naming for what it is.
In June 1997, Symington held a press conference in which his Department of Public Safety officers escorted in a tall, alien-costumed figure in handcuffs, then unmasked the figure as Heiler [5]. Symington’s framing at the time was that the spoof would calm the public down. The spoof has been criticized in retrospect — including by Symington himself — for trivializing witnesses and discouraging serious reporting.
In March 2007, on the tenth anniversary, Symington reversed publicly. He told reporters that he had been a witness on March 13, 1997, that the object was “enormous and inexplicable,” and that he believed the public deserved a candid governmental conversation about UAP [5][6]. He has repeated the substance of that statement in subsequent interviews, including for CNN [6] and several documentaries.
The Lynne Kitei Documentary and the Witness Pool
Dr. Lynne D. Kitei, a Phoenix-area physician, was a witness on March 13, 1997. She remained anonymous for seven years before going public. In 2004 she published the book The Phoenix Lights: A Skeptic’s Discovery That We Are Not Alone, and in 2005 she released the documentary The Phoenix Lights … We Are Not Alone as executive producer, writer, and director, in collaboration with cinematographer Steve Lantz [8]. The film won the Best Documentary award at the New York International Independent Film & Video Festival in 2005 and additional festival recognition through 2007 [8].
Kitei’s value to the public record is not advocacy. It is documentation. She compiled named witness statements, photographic evidence, and timeline reconstructions that researchers — including skeptics — have used as a structured starting point. Her book takes a forthrightly inquisitive stance; the documentary lets witnesses speak in their own words and sources its claims by date and place.
What the Public Record Actually Settles
A documents-first reading of this case yields three findings and one open question.
First, the 10:00 PM event has an on-the-record military explanation that is internally consistent across a 1997 USAF statement, a 2007 ANG pilot interview, and the visual behavior of LUU-2B/B parachute flares. The flare attribution is well-evidenced.
Second, the 8:30 PM V-formation has at least one strong witness statement (Stanley) supporting an aircraft reading, and a body of named witness statements — including a sitting governor — describing a single coherent unconventional craft. These are not mutually exclusive at the level of evidence: Stanley’s resolved-aircraft observation is decisive about his moment, and the wider witness pool is decisive about a perceived continuous object spanning a wider span. The official record does not reconcile them.
Third, no formal government inquiry was ever conducted. Frances Barwood’s May 1997 request for a city investigation was rejected. Symington’s promised investigation never produced a report. The Air Force’s 1997 attribution applies explicitly to the 10:00 PM event, not the earlier V-formation.
The open question is whether the V-formation was a tightly flown set of A-10s returning to Davis-Monthan, mistaken for a single craft because of distance and night-sky perception, or something else. The public record as it stands does not resolve that question. It identifies it.
Why the Conflation Persists in Popular Memory
The two events get fused for a reason worth naming. The 10:00 PM flare event produced the most photographs and the most-circulated video. The 8:30 PM V-formation produced the most named witness statements and the most political controversy. When a layperson searches “Phoenix Lights” today, the imagery on offer is mostly the flare event; the testimony on offer is mostly about the V-formation. The mismatch encourages a single-event narrative that the documentary record does not support. Naming the split is the first step toward asking the right question about either event.
A second factor is the political theater of 1997. The Symington spoof and the Barwood ridicule signaled to witnesses and reporters that public seriousness was costly. The substantive record of the night was not lost — it was deferred. Symington’s 2007 reversal, Jones’s 2007 confirmation, Kitei’s 2005 documentary, and the Phoenix New Times oral history of 2022 are all later-tier reconstructions that returned to the original witness statements after the political cost had eased. The case is, in that sense, still being written.
Frequently Asked Questions
What were the Phoenix Lights?
A series of light formations seen across Arizona on the night of March 13, 1997. The label covers two distinct events: a silent V-formation that moved south through the Phoenix metro between roughly 8:00 and 8:45 PM, and a row of stationary lights observed near 10:00 PM over the southwest horizon. The U.S. Air Force attributed the 10:00 PM event to A-10 illumination flares; the earlier V-formation has no comparable on-the-record explanation.
Did the U.S. Air Force ever explain the Phoenix Lights?
Partially. On July 25, 1997, the Air Force identified the 10:00 PM stationary lights as illumination flares dropped by A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft training over the Barry M. Goldwater Range. In March 2007, Maryland Air National Guard Lt. Col. Ed Jones publicly confirmed flying one of the A-10s in that formation. The earlier V-formation between 8:00 and 8:45 PM was not addressed by the official statement.
Who was Lt. Col. Ed Jones?
A Maryland Air National Guard pilot assigned to the 104th Fighter Squadron of the 175th Fighter Wing. The squadron deployed to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson under Operation Snowbird in early 1997. Jones flew one of the A-10s that dropped LUU-2B/B parachute illumination flares over the Barry M. Goldwater Range near 10:00 PM on March 13, 1997. He confirmed his role in a March 2007 media interview marking the tenth anniversary.
What did Governor Fife Symington III say about the Phoenix Lights?
Two things at two times. In June 1997 he held a press conference framing the sightings as a spoof, with his chief of staff Jay Heiler in an alien costume. In March 2007 he publicly reversed, telling CNN and other outlets that he had personally witnessed the V-formation from his Phoenix home, that the object appeared enormous and inexplicable, and that he had stayed quiet for a decade to avoid fueling public hysteria. He is an Air Force veteran and licensed pilot.
Who was Frances Barwood and what did she try to do?
A Phoenix City Councilwoman and Vice Mayor in 1997. In May 1997 she publicly asked the city council to open an inquiry into the witness reports. By her account, her office received roughly 700 witness contacts. The council did not pursue an investigation. She has said she was mocked by some colleagues, including signs and joke business cards directed at her office.
What did Mitch Stanley observe?
Stanley was a 21-year-old amateur astronomer in Scottsdale who watched the V-formation through a 10-inch Dobsonian reflecting telescope at roughly 60x magnification. He reported that the formation resolved into multiple aircraft with wing-mounted lights, watched for about a minute, and turned away, telling his mother, “They were just planes.” His statement is the strongest individual witness account supporting an aircraft reading of the earlier V-formation.
Were the Phoenix Lights connected to the Hale-Bopp comet?
Indirectly. Comet Hale-Bopp was near peak visibility on the night of March 13, 1997, and tens of thousands of Arizonans were outdoors watching it. That context inflated the witness pool — many observers were already stargazing, telescope-equipped, and looking up at the right hour. The comet did not produce the V-formation or the 10:00 PM lights; it produced the audience that saw them.
Did Lynne Kitei’s 2005 documentary produce new evidence?
Mostly it consolidated existing evidence. Dr. Lynne D. Kitei, a Phoenix-area physician and named witness, served as executive producer, writer, and director. The film compiled named witness statements, photographic evidence, and a timeline that researchers across the credibility spectrum have used as a starting point. It won Best Documentary at the New York International Independent Film & Video Festival in 2005 and additional festival recognition through 2007.
Are there photographs or video of the Phoenix Lights?
Yes, primarily of the 10:00 PM event. Multiple amateur photographers and videographers captured the row of stationary lights over the southwest horizon. The earlier V-formation produced fewer images, partly because of the rapid track and partly because cameras were less ubiquitous in 1997. The most-circulated public images of “the Phoenix Lights” generally show the 10:00 PM flare event, which complicates how the case is remembered.
Was a formal government investigation ever conducted?
No. Frances Barwood’s May 1997 request for a Phoenix city inquiry was not pursued. Governor Symington’s verbal commitment to “a full investigation” did not produce a public report. The Air Force’s 1997 statement and the 2007 ANG pilot interview together represent the official record, and both are limited to the 10:00 PM flare event. The earlier V-formation has no formal investigative finding on file.
Sources
- [1] Wikipedia. “Phoenix Lights.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_Lights — composite timeline, USAF attribution, Stanley telescope account, Maryland ANG confirmation.
- [2] Las Vegas Sun. “Military now says flares may be cause of mysterious Arizona lights.” July 25, 1997. https://lasvegassun.com/news/1997/jul/25/military-now-says-flares-may-be-cause-of-mysteriou/
- [3] Phoenix New Times. “The Phoenix Lights UFO sightings in 1997: An oral history.” March 2022 25th-anniversary feature. https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/arts-culture/the-phoenix-lights-ufo-sightings-in-1997-an-oral-history-25th-anniversary-13176244/
- [4] Deseret News. “Flares, not UFOs, caused light show, military says.” July 26, 1997. https://www.deseret.com/1997/7/26/19325702/flares-not-ufos-caused-light-show-military-says/
- [5] NBC News. “Former Ariz. governor boosts UFO claims.” March 21, 2007. https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna17761943
- [6] CNN. “Symington: I saw a UFO in the Arizona sky.” November 9, 2007. https://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/11/09/simington.ufocommentary/index.html
- [7] FOX 10 Phoenix. “Two decades later, ‘Phoenix Lights’ remains a mystery.” March 2017. https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/two-decades-later-phoenix-lights-remains-a-mystery
- [8] IMDb. The Phoenix Lights (2005). https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1340458/ — director and producer credits for Dr. Lynne D. Kitei; festival awards record.
- [9] Alien and Extraterrestrial Mysteries pillar — esovitae.com niche overview and related-case index.
