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The “Phoenix extraterrestrial flyover” refers to the historic Phoenix Lights on March 13, 1997, when thousands of people across Arizona and Nevada witnessed a silent, massive V-shaped or boomerang-shaped formation of lights gliding across the night sky. It remains one of the most famous and debated mass UFO sightings in U.S. history. [1, 2, 3]

The 1997 Event

• The Sighting: Between 7:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., lights were seen moving from the Nevada state line, passing through Phoenix, and hovering near Tucson. [1, 2]
• The Craft: Many witnesses, including trained pilots and law enforcement, described a massive, solid, slow-moving object (sometimes said to be miles wide) that floated completely silently. [1, 2, 3, 4]
• High-Profile Witnesses: Arizona Governor Fife Symington and celebrity pilot Kurt Russell publicly acknowledged witnessing the inexplicable spectacle. [1, 2]

Official Explanations vs. The Mystery

Despite civilian accounts of a massive alien spacecraft, the military and government offered earthly explanations for both occurrences that night: [1, 2, 3]

• The V-Shaped Lights: The Air National Guard identified this as a formation of A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft performing night training exercises. [1, 2]
• The Stationary Lights: The subsequent glowing orbs that hovered over Phoenix were identified as long-burning parachute illumination flares dropped during a pilot training operation at the Barry Goldwater Range. [1, 2]

Many researchers, witnesses, and skeptics continue to debate whether the flare explanation adequately accounts for the immense, solid structure described by thousands of onlookers. [1, 2]

For a closer look at the footage captured by witnesses on that evening and the enduring debate around what hovered above the city:

Phoenix Lights and UFO Sightings Investigative … The CW Network YouTube · Dec 20, 2025

(Contributed by Clint Lambert)