📋 Case Summary
On the evening of March 13, 1997, a colossal V-shaped formation of lights silently crossed the Arizona sky, observed by thousands of people from Nevada to Tucson. The formation was estimated to be over a kilometer wide, larger than 3 football fields. A second phase, around 10 PM, showed a row of stationary orange lights. Governor Fife Symington initially mocked the event (with an assistant disguised as an alien) before publicly admitting in 2007 that he had seen the object himself and had no explanation.
12
Similar cases identified
7,958
Cases in the same area
18,116
Hatch UDB database analyzed
1,784
Cases with same overall profile
🔑 Key facts
- More than 1,000 documented witnesses
- Testimony of Governor Symington (2007)
- Estimated V formation > 1 km
- Silent flight at low altitude
- Official explanation (flares) only covers the 2nd phase
🌐 Observation profile
| Date | March 13, 1997 |
| Location | Arizona, United States (Phoenix and Tucson) |
| Witnesses | More than 1,000 civilian witnesses, including Governor Fife Symington |
| Observed shape | Giant V of lights |
| Duration | Several hours (two distinct phases) |
| Category | Civilian |
🔗 Similar cases in the Hatch UDB database
Our Wiki Intelligence system identified 12 comparable cases in the Hatch database (18,116 historical observations) by cross-referencing the attributes: DLT, CIV, WAV, GND, USA / United States country, and shape-related keywords.
Credibility: ★★★★★★★★★★★★★
Big wave. / r166p52.
GNDAIRMILCIVHQONWS
Credibility: ★★★★★★★★★★★★★
Thousands / observer(s). Huge object responds to flashing light. 7 UFO's / wide area.
GNDCIVHQONWSWAVSCR
Credibility: ★★★★★★★★★★★★★
Also entire area. Massive wave seen / thousands. Videos. Photographs. Clocks stop. 2+UFO's.
GNDMILCIVHQONWSWAV
Credibility: ★★★★★★★★★★★★★
Pilot and 1000 observer(s). Huge triangle going south. Videos = flares / USAF.
GNDAIRMILCIVHQONWS
Credibility: ★★★★★★★★★★★★
Wave. Hundreds / observer(s) in many N. California towns. 13-20 August. 1 Case / MJ#179p3.
GNDMILCIVHQOWAVSCR
Credibility: ★★★★★★★★★★★★
100+cops. 200' delta/triangle/box-like craft hovers. Going quickly northeast. Faint humming. Back / 9PM. / International UFO Reporter (CUFOS Group, USA) v8#4.
GNDMILCIVHQOWAVDLT
Credibility: ★★★★★★★★★★★★
Hundreds / observer(s). 75 reports. 150' boomerang over Taconic highway. Hums. Going north over lake.
GNDCIVHQOWAVDLTNOC
Credibility: ★★★★★★★★★★★★
Police lines swamped. Silent delta/triangle/box-like craft with blinking lights all over.
GNDCSTCIVHQONWSWAV
Credibility: ★★★★★★★★★★★★
40+observer(s) and RADAR. Night lights and saucer and delta/triangle/box-like craft-blips maneuver widely. Going west. / MJ 9'94.
GNDCIVHQONWSWAVDLT
Many observer(s) / 2 days. Night lights and lit objects. Phony helicopter maneuvers impossibly.
GNDCSTCIVHQOWAVSCR
25 observer(s) and cops. 200' boomerang / 160' altitude near homes. Beams going down. Going north. / International UFO Reporter (CUFOS Group, USA) V8#4+5.
GNDCSTAIRMILCIVHQO
Many observer(s). Huge delta/triangle/box-like craft up and down Naugatuck Valley. Absolute(ly) silent. Bad photographs.
GNDCIVHQOWAVDLTNLT
📊 Statistical context
Of the 18,116 observations in the Hatch UDB database covering decades of global ufology:
- Total number of cases in the relevant country/countries: 7,958
- Cases sharing the main attributes (DLT, CIV): 1,784
- Similar cases retained (multi-criteria score): 12
⚖️ Vigi-Sky Analysis
The Phoenix Lights case stands out for 5 major characteristics detailed above. Cross-referencing with our historical database shows that it fits within a broader set of comparable cases, suggesting the existence of recurring patterns not yet explained by conventional science.
Vigi-Sky takes a scientific, open-minded and honest approach: we draw no definitive conclusions, but systematically document and cross-reference observations. Contextual analysis by our Claude AI, coupled with the living database, progressively enriches our understanding of the phenomenon.
⚠️ Methodological disclaimer. This report is automatically generated by the Vigi-Sky Intelligence system from public sources and the Hatch UDB database. It does not constitute proof of extraterrestrial origin. "Similar" cases are retained based on shape, geography, and declarative attributes, and imply no causal correlation between them.
Have you experienced a similar phenomenon?
Our Wiki Intelligence system can generate a personalized report on your observation, with automatic cross-referencing of the database.
Submit an observation →