Incident Library / UAP-1997-PHOENIX
FILE ID UAP-1997-PHOENIX · STATUS EXPLAINED (partly; contested) · LAST REVIEWED 2026-10-28
Phoenix, Arizona lights
Independent summary of public records. This is not a finding and not an agency document.
1997 · Arizona, USA · formation of lights
Status note: The Maryland Air National Guard said its A-10s dropped flares. The Associated Press noted that this cannot explain sightings up to 200 miles away.
Primary source not yet opened: this entry rests on a news report.
At a glance
In 1997, people in Arizona reported lights. The Maryland Air National Guard said its A-10 aircraft dropped flares. The Associated Press noted that this cannot explain sightings reported up to 200 miles away.
Documented
- The Maryland Air National Guard said its A-10 aircraft dropped flares (AP, July 26, 1997). [1]
- The AP report noted that the flares cannot explain sightings reported up to 200 miles away. [1]
Reported
- Residents reported lights over a wide area. [1]
Explained
- Flares. Proposed by the Maryland Air National Guard. Covers: the flare drop. Does not cover: sightings up to 200 miles away (AP). We do not say flares "explain Phoenix." [1]
Not established
Which sightings are covered.
Connected Cases note (all three triangle entries): our archive links these by recorded features, with a triage score of 0.49 for Belgium and Hudson Valley. That score is a research tool, not a finding and not evidence of a shared cause. Pattern, not proof.
Sources
- Associated Press via Deseret News, July 26, 1997, "Flares, not UFOs, caused light show, military says". secondary (news). https://www.deseret.com/1997/7/26/19325702/flares-not-ufos-caused-light-show-military-says/. Accessed 2026-10-28.
Corrections
None.