Tonight something, strange, happened, in the skies over Arizona, that still hasn't, been fully explained, an event now known as the Phoenix lights it, was extraordinary no one knows for sure what, happened that night in the skies over Arizona. In March but. Thousands, of people saw something. This. Week on BuzzFeed and Saab we investigate, the Phoenix lights a possible, UFO sighting, in Phoenix, Arizona this. Case is regarded, by many to be one of the bigger UFO, cases of all time mainly, because of the amount of witnesses, you're already look like you're you're stoked I love it. A lot. Of times it's like Oh. Lady. You get abducted by minions but nobody. Had a camera well, not, today friend not today because it's, boiling I just take a little peek in there ah you. Didn't even look oh there. You go there's so much heat in here let's, get into it okay. On. March, 13th, 1997. Around. 7:00 p.m. a string. Of about five lights in a v-formation, appeared. In the sky above, Phoenix Arizona the. National, UFO Reporting Center, reported. That the first call regarding, the lights came, in at 8:16. P.m. from. A retired police, officer, in Paulding, Arizona, which, is about two hours north of Phoenix, the retired, police officer, reported he saw quote a cluster. Of red orange lights arranged. In a v-formation. End quote the, national, UFO Reporting Center, reportedly, began to get a flood of calls from, Selda, Paulding, suggesting. The lights were moving, in a southeastern. Direction, allegedly. There, were over 700, witnesses. Including. Pilots, police officers, and military officials, that, were lighting up the national, UFO Reporting Center, switchboards. Looking, for, an explanation, some. Describe the lights as orbs, others. Said triangles, a large, amount of witnesses, described, the lights as part, of a singular, massive, craft. A craft, that made no noise so. Some people saw a craft, I got a bubble I got an air bubble in my throat right now you hear that you ever get that this, is scary I don't like myself oh you sound I sound. Like an alien you sound alien yeah I'm a like a pod person, oh. Okay. Yeah. You know that's that thing yeah look at you look in the darkness long enough you're gonna see something yeah seven hundred people are gonna say, I'll hallucinate, at the same time yeah. Okay. I mean some of them did some of them didn't I mean it's not hallucinating, I'm saying some, of the people looked up and said yes I do I. See staring, at the darkness it, was all connected Wow, what's my mind doing here's. A crazy March no this may be I may be going off the deep end here but if 700, people will say they saw something what. If they actually saw something no, doubt they saw something but, what, is that, thing. That's. The question, one man named, Terry Proctor, captured. One of the only videos, of this event, the, grainy low-quality, video, which, we can't show you due to copyright seemingly. Displays, five, lights in AV light pattern, in the sky around. 10:00 p.m. a, second. Set of as, many as nine, lights appeared. In the sky seemingly. Hovering, in the same, spot, whether, these lines are related, to or are in, fact the, same lights from the seven pm sighting is unclear. However. It's. This, set of lights that comprises most of I witness testimony, as it, was later in the night after the buzz of the first, sighting had people on alert it seems not like not the usual mo, for. Aliens, right. To, sort, of do a little appetizer, this, is a weird case because there's a possibility, that, one was legit and one, actually was something normal but, was misidentified so. It confuses, things curious. Or they. Were the same thing I think. Either is just, as likely I think it's possible that. Aliens. Knew they were gonna be seen or didn't know they were gonna be seen one, of them up was asleep at the wheel forgot. To turn on the cloaking device or some crazy, like that it's just a button and now he's fired he's looking for work as well divorced, him his little alien kids don't have income to live off of it's a really bad situation, for that alien father, a, laser. Printer technician, named Dana Valentine, witnessed, the craft from his yard in Phoenix, quote, we, could see the outline of a mass behind, the lights but, you couldn't actually see, the mass it, was more like a great distortion, of the night sky wavy. I don't, know exactly what it was but I know it's not a technology the public has heard of before end quote. Tim, Lee a management, consultant. Described, the event saying quote he, was astonishing. And a little frightening it was so big and so, strange you couldn't actually see, the object, all you could see was the outline as, though, something, was blotting, out the Stars the.
Lights Look like gasps there, was a distortion, on the surface, also. The, light didn't spill out or shine I've, never seen a light like that end quote. According. To a USA, Today article from, the time air-traffic. Controllers, could not see the lights on radar, despite. Seeing them with their own eyes in the sky that's, pretty significant, yeah, if, there are planes you would see them on the radar yeah so. It's not a plane unless it was stealth. We'll. Get into that later okay based, off of reports, it appears, that the mysterious spacecraft. Was enormous, made, no sound, moved, slowly, and on occasion, would hover over, an area Phoenix. Physician, dr. Lynn Cote was, a witness, of these lights and states quote he, was a mile-wide formation. Of these orbs, and I caught them head-on, turning into a V and quote. Witness. Sue Watson described the craft as quote a shopping. Mall flying over my home it had these lights in front and then it was totally, illuminated, underneath like, a yellowish, amber, he was a totally, rounded, boomerang, shape end quote. Videos. Of this second event showed the string of nine lights hovering in the sky the. Lights illuminate, off and on randomly. Over, the course of a couple. While floating in what could be described as a loose, belike formation, other, videos, captured the events of March 13th, 1997. And, according, to a USA, Today article quote. Computer. Analysis, of the tapes puts, the object, at 6000. Feet long or, more, than. A mile end quote. With these things I tend to. You. Know I tend, to put it first. On on spooky. Military, activity, more. So than, extraterrestrials. It, just seems like a big gamble, for extraterrestrials. To just, I mean. If they're coming down at night in the first place. You. Know clearly, and they're, trying to cloak themselves well, great maybe, hang outside a few miles outside of town I mean, really it's not that much of a gamble what's the gamble they're clearly more advanced than this what's gonna happen okay we see them we, did see them we're. Not gonna attack them so it's. A pop on by around. The afternoon because maybe get some peepers on that ship maybe they saw they, saw us and they were like mmm, not interested, swipe right or laughter wherever the Twitter is it, went to Twitter twin sender her she sounds like an 80 year old. Whatever. Whatever, twin, Dirk winter. Yeah. I, think. Maybe they saw they came to check out resources they didn't like what they saw so they just left while. There are people who say the lights were part of one giant craft there, are others, who believe the lights themselves were, the crafts a truck, driver named Bill Greiner 'he's recollection, of the event seems, to suggest the latter Greiner. Said that his truck route took him within a mile of Luke Air Force Base he, states that he witnessed, two orbs, one, of which was floating over the Air Force Base at that, moment three, f-16s. Took off after. Which the, or pursued, one but, then shot up into the sky and disappeared. Quote, before, this if anybody, had told me they saw a UFO I would, have said yeah, and I believe in the tooth fairy now I've got a whole new view I may, be just a dumb truck driver but, I've seen something that don't belong here, I wish, the government would just admit it you know what it's like in this city right now it's, like having 50,000. People in a stadium watch a football game and then having someone tell us we, weren't there. End quote. Love. This. Guy, yeah, I I love, it he's he's. Like he realizes, that the first thing a skeptic is gonna say is that's a truck drivers yeah check that box yeah I was gonna say that's a truck truck he got me dead to rights and then he gave a solid. Analogy, of people, watching a sporting event and then having people go hey, you didn't watch that and, he also gave the I was a skeptic until I saw this defense, movie it, was oh yeah and I believe in the tooth fairy go. Yourself, there's a three-pronged attack that's, pretty good, this guy's he's, a savant. When it comes to rhetoric yeah on May, 6th, during a council meeting City, Councilwoman Frances, Barwood, asked, city manager, Frank Fairbanks, if there was going to be an investigation, quote. I asked, if anybody knew what this object was and could we check into it I was met by a whole bunch of stairs and quote, she, claims that following the meeting a city manager approached, her and said quote you shouldn't have asked that question end quote. Then, the, Arizona Republic, published a cartoon of City Councilwoman Barwood, with, a light switch on her forehead and a button on her jacket saying, quote I love, UFOs, and quote, Barwood.
Continues, The mayor's office put, signs on my picture, in the hallway and I found out afterwards, they handed out business cards with my name on it that said speaking, to the tinfoil, I will hear you end quote. Despite. Being ridiculed, Barwood. Began receiving phone, calls from, other witnesses all, describing. The same thing nonetheless. For. A while the case went unacknowledged, until. A USA, Today article released. Three months later on June 18th, 1997. Described. The event effectively. Bringing the story into, the national, spotlight from. The article quote, on March, 13th. Hundreds, of people reported, an enormous, object, or objects. In the night sky it's. The most confounding, UFO, report in 50, years, so, far the, no explanation. But, the government, is not investigating. Local. And federal agencies, disagree, over who should purse, the report in, yeah. I guess it didn't so there's been almost no coverage of it up until here and this is three months after the sighting because this is this is before YouTube. Or yeah, no one's on Twitter going holy, yeah, cuz you know I mean for example remember. Was. It like a couple months ago when the SpaceX launch happened yeah and it looked like the sky was breaking, mhm if that happened in 1997. And we, didn't have Twitter everyone, would think it was everyone would think it's an alien they would lose their minds yeah of. Course the, government was to. Their credit able to give an excellent explanation they. Even announced that was gonna happen, they said this shit's good you know it wasn't a covert operation so in that case I don't know if it's too. Similar. Mm-hmm, but the. Internet is a. Tool. Of knowledge I suppose in some ways yeah, or it could be a means, of destruction in, the end of us yeah we, just hang in there everybody with the country hungry for answers then-governor. Five Symington, held a press conference where. He claimed, he, knew who was responsible and brought, out the, accused, and now I'll ask officer, Stein and his colleagues, to escort the accused into the room so that we may all look upon the guilty party don't get him too close to me please and. It's. Here that this story gets interesting because despite, making a joke of the event Governor, Symington would later publicly. Admit that he too had, seen the Kraft quote. I saw, a huge craft come right over Squaw Peak he, was just breathtaking as a pilot and a former Air Force officer. I can, definitively say that, this craft, did. Not resemble, any man-made, object that, I'd ever seen it. Was certainly, not high-altitude, flares, because, I've never seen flares fly in formation. Unquestionably. It, was a UFO. End quote, another, interesting fact from governor Symington was the fact that his office, did inquire, about the object, but they never received, an answer, and if, a governor can't receive an explanation from, the powers that be what. Could they be hiding there's. Probably a lot of things they don't tell governor's. Sure. But that when the, governor in question, has a state full of people that are pressing. Him for answers you would think that they would be like handing, a lot of people or on you right now you're under a lot of heat this. Is what you this is what you do but, instead they. Ostracize. Him they keep him on the outside to think oh I wonder what he's gonna do maybe he'll run his mouth I would, be more concerned if he did know something I'm just saying that if they, had talked to him he wouldn't have said anything ever. I think because. He would have had the fear but then but then he's, still, he's. Still like a, loose. Cannon. You. Can't know for sure that if they tell him something he's going to he. Could go nuts they don't know yeah you can because it's your job, I'm. Just saying by keeping someone in the dark you get you're giving, them the Liberty to say whatever they really want with, with, no. Basis. For it though I think one, hears that they're not gonna it has a little bit of basis he's a governor saying something so that already inherently, has a little bit of basis but. He doesn't know more than anyone. Else in town I know is the thing but it just makes it look more suspicious I don't, think it does I think it does well agree to disagree here with. That let's, get into the theories of which, there are only two, the. First theory is the official explanation from, the Air Force that, the lights witnessed, in the sky were merely flares, dropped in a training exercise from, high altitude, that night the, military, states that the flares were dropped over, the Barry M Goldwater range.
Near Gila Bend Arizona. Though, it's, worth noting, that two, songs' davis-monthan. Air force base, the base that allegedly carried out the training exercise, originally. Stated that it had no planes, in the air at the time former. F-16 pilot. Ty grow believes. That the lights may well have been, military flares he, says that flares go where the wind takes them a breeze, may have been able to carry all of them at an equal distance in June, of that year a local, news anchor taped, another, flare drop by the military, and skeptics. Suggest, it bared a striking, resemblance to. The Phoenix lights one. Important, detail is what, time, the, military reportedly. Dropped flares on the night of the Phoenix lights the. Flare drop apparently. Occurred around 10:00 p.m., aka, the, same time sightings, of the second, set of lights were reported, but, while that possibly explains, those, lights that still offers no, explanation for, the first set of lights that were seen nearly three hours earlier. One. Man named, Mitch Stanley, claims, that during the time of the first sighting, he, happened to be using a high-powered, telescope, capable. Of seeing, 1,500. Times more, light than the human eye when, he looked at the first set of lights he claims they were plans, while. Compelling, this story seems odd when, you consider the fact that no, plans were reported, in the air during the time of the first sighting, and since, it wasn't just one light but rather five, lights it seems, odd that there would be five, unaccounted. For planes flying in tight formation, my, gut tells me it's just some shady, military, activity, coulda been flares could've been Stealth's you, know who, knows they've only given one explanation for the for. The second set of lights and even that explanation, to me is is she is, I would. Say I, think. This. One's, I just think that the flares even if you do buy the flares sure the, first set of lights still unexplained, except, for one dude with a telescope, who's competing against 700, witnesses, and. Why the is this guy with a telescope, he. Just happens to be using a telescope at the exact time of one of like the craziest, events of all time I gotta be honest telescope, people are weird. Because. He's actually I want to be one of those he's a favorite among, skeptics they're like see this guy was using a high-powered telescope with his momma which is what he was using he was in Tibet you know I don't, doubt that he was that him and his momma were out with their telescope, I'm just sayin telescope, people I mean. How, much are they spending on these telescopes they're gonna be out there every single night with, a like a margarita let's. See what I find all that's true empty sky again whoa wow what a night, well, that's been eight hours I'll go to sleep because the sun's coming up there basically, vampires, then he says to his mom good scoping she goes good scope and Sun and then they go when are you gonna move out.
Which. Brings us to our next theory that, the lights were not flares, but, actual, UFOs, and perhaps proof, of extraterrestrial, life. On the, third year anniversary of the lights another, flare demonstration. Was performed, to attempt, to mimic the lights this, time by the National Guard but, people remained unconvinced, that this was what they witnessed three years earlier, the, flares quote flickered. And moved erratically unquote, and not, in the bizarre grouped fashion, of the Phoenix lights Jim, della Tosa a special, effects expert analyzed. Videos of the lights and said quote I have no idea what they were and quote, him, and his team detail, the orbs as quote a perfectly. Uniform light with, no variation. From one edge to the other and, no, glow they, have ruled out lasers, flares, Holograms. And aircraft, lights as sources, and quote, to, gain further insight on, this case we, sat down with, ancient aliens expert, giorgio a sooo close what, do you think the plausibility, of this event actually happening, is well we know it happened, so. We. Do know what happened right and I agree we. Don't know what, it was what it was yes correct and what I think is fascinating is, that something. Similar happened, seven years earlier in, Belgium. Which, was also seen by thousands. Upon thousands, of people same. Triangular, formation and then also the. Individual, lights so. I, think it's fascinating have, you seen anything that, could maybe be an early version of what we saw in the Phoenix lights sure what's, interesting is, that Alexander. The Great and, also. In some accounts of ancient, Constantinople. There, are. References. Of giant. Flying shields. Giant. Shields, that are glowing, in the sky. And just, crossed, you. Know over the lands so. When, you have these, accounts. Of of ancient. Flying, shields, up, in the sky there are witnessed, by, armies. You. Have to wonder well, were. They all drunk. Were. They all smoking. Or, did, they actually see. Something even. If the lights were misidentified. Flares or planes this, still doesn't explain numerous. Witnesses describing. A massive, craft that the lights were attached to piggybacking.
Off That on March 14th. 1997. The morning after the Phoenix, lights an airman. From Luke Air Force Base detailed. A disturbing. Story from, the day prior he, claimed that the base got a call from Prescott, Valley Airport, quote. Reporting. An object, that had a near miss with a small Cessna end quote. He claimed this call came at quote approximately. 8:32, p.m. that. They encountered, something, over, Phoenix Arizona end quote, as a, result, the airman claims that Luke Air Force Base sent, two f-15s. To investigate, upon. Their return to base, here's, how the airman described, the pilot of one of the f-15s. Quote, the, command pilot of this particular, flight I've never, seen this man scared, and he. Was scared, to death he's. Not sure what it was his, statement was that they followed this aircraft, it went on a straight-line course he, saw five distinct, lights in a triangular pattern how, often would this happen where the military, has, stealth. Planes out that, they don't tell Air Force bases about it's, possible that, seems, wildly. Counterproductive. To, me you don't want to be sending out a bunch of plans to investigate, things when, you could easily be like oh yeah that's one of ours yeah. I just feel like the military you know it's hard to pin down. Hard. To pin down what, they what they might do I think I just made a good point I mean. Certainly certainly, a good point for you after, this revelation the, airman claimed the Air Force Base quote had, a complete, lockdown all, hell. Broke loose basically, and, facility, was, closed and quote. Noteworthy. Is that this encounter occurred, around 8:30. P.m. at, the time, of the first sighting, about, an hour and a half before the military claims they dropped flares in response. The, Air Force has denied, this encounter ever took, place classic. No of that classic. Do you think they just have a dartboard that they throw whether or not they're. Gonna deny I'm just spin a wheel which. We tell open this time yeah I think it would be a fun job to, be the person who makes up fake stories, that the military doctor. Oh a, spin, doctor yeah and then he spins his wheel has. Topics. On it and it has topics, on it we're, going with flares. And. Everyone in like the office who had flares in their polls like yeah, they, choke alpha, a little bit more. It. Makes sense that the Air Force would deny this story, since, denying, interest, in UFOs is, something, that the government has already done, in December. 2017. It, was found that the nation's Defense Department had used 22. Million dollars of their annual six, hundred billion dollar budget for, an advanced, aerospace, threat identification. Program Defense. Department, officials admitted. That for years the program had been investigating. Unidentified. Flying objects, here's, a quote from a New York Times article on a 60 minute documentary on this topic detailing. Documents, provided, in the documentary, quote. Documents. That describe sightings, of aircraft, that seemed to move at very, high velocities. With no visible signs of propulsion, or that, hovered with no apparent means of lift, end quote, why. Do you think the government, approaches, the topic of UFOs with such trepidation. Why do you think they're so, against, it that's, a great question, because as, we now know ever. Since the 50s, and the 60s you. Know open. Money people, like the, three of us and our great, audience, we've. Always been laughed. At and oh you know those are the Kooks those are the crazies, yeah and then there's reports, coming out well we've been studying this you, know files, and files with hundreds. Of thousands, of. Worldwide. Not just by the US government but by governments. From Brazil, England, all, over the place, that. Ultimately, this. Stuff has been investigated. And. The. Fact that the Pentagon, in December, of 2017. Released. A statement saying hey we're. Investigating, UFOs, that. To me indicates, that, we've passed. Or, we are, experiencing. A paradigm, shift which. Is great in the end now, they're skeptics nor believers, can concretely prove, what happened that night despite. Hundreds, of witnesses across an entire state, the world seems content to leave what transpired, that night as a mystery, perhaps. One day we'll have an answer but, for now the, case remains, unsolved.
2018-05-20