The case record
What was reported?
Witnesses across Arizona reported moving formations and later a line of stationary lights near Phoenix.
- Reported date
- 13 Mar 1997
- Witnesses
- Residents / pilots · Thousands
- Investigation
- USAF / local authorities
Evidence in the record
Video; mass eyewitness testimony
Competing explanations
Official and research context
Later Phoenix lights linked to military flares
Conventional explanations
Flares for later event; aircraft/formation for earlier reports
Arguments that remain contested
Earlier travelling V-shaped reports remain separately debated
Locations & timeline
Coordinates are representative. Area and route labels do not imply exact paths or object positions.
- Primary reference location
Arizona north-to-south sighting corridor
Phoenix / Prescott / Tucson
Reported event location · Approximate area radius: 200 km
33.450°, -112.070° · multipoint · Medium - Linked location
Prescott / Prescott Valley
Arizona, USA
Early travelling-light reports · Approximate area radius: 20 km
34.540°, -112.469° · area · Medium - Linked location
Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Mass observation area · Approximate area radius: 30 km
33.448°, -112.074° · area · High - Linked location
Estrella Mountains
Arizona, USA
Later light display / flare line-of-sight · Approximate area radius: 30 km
33.250°, -112.300° · area · Medium
Record notes
Website should explicitly separate the earlier travelling formation from later flare event.
Imported starting record; individual claims and source links await editorial verification.
Original dataset status: Partially explained / disputed