>> IT MAY BE THE LARGEST MASS
UFO SIGHTING EVER WITNESSED OVER AMERICA.
>> WHOA! LOOK AT THAT! >> MARCH 13, 1997,
THE SKIES ABOVE ARIZONA IGNITE. >> IT'S COMING!
>> FIERY GLOBES SEEN BY THOUSANDS.
>> THEY STARTED MULTIPLYING. ONE LIGHT BECAME TWO LIGHTS,
A THIRD, A FOURTH. >> REPORTS OF AN ULTRA-SILENT
AIRCRAFT, SEEMINGLY AS LARGE AS A BATTLESHIP.
>> IT WAS SO BIG. I COULD NOT SEE THE FRONT, THE BACK SIDE,
THE SIDE OF THIS CRAFT. >> DO ANCIENT CLUES OVER
1,000 YEARS OLD SHOW A PATTERN? >> IT LOOKS LIKE A SAUCER
WITH FIRE. >> OR COULD IT BE A TOP-SECRET
GOVERNMENT PROGRAM? >> THERE ARE LARGE VEHICLES
THAT FIT THE DESCRIPTIONS YOU HEARD.
>> AND WHAT DOES THE STATE'S FORMER GOVERNOR NOW SAY?
>> I'D DESCRIBE WHAT I SAW AS BEING OTHER-WORLDLY.
>> THIS IS CASE NUMBER 97202-- ARIZONA LIGHTS.
>> SOMETHING IS IN THE SKY, AND SOMETHING IS HAPPENING,
AND I'LL GO TO MY DEATH KNOWING THAT WHAT I SAW WAS TRUE.
>> THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ALL OVER ARIZONA SAW SOMETHING THAT
NIGHT. >> I BELIEVE THE PHOENIX LIGHTS
ARE REAL, AND THAT'S A FACT. >> ON THE EVENING OF MARCH 13,
1997, RESIDENTS THROUGHOUT PHOENIX, ARIZONA, ARE OUTSIDE
LOOKING SKYWARD. THE LARGE NUMBER OF SPECTATORS ARE THERE
TO GAZE AT THE HALE BOPP COMET, A COMET LAST SEEN MORE THAN
2,000 YEARS AGO. BUT INSTEAD, SOMETHING ELSE
APPEARS IN THE DARKNESS-- SOMETHING QUITE UNEXPECTED.
A MASS SIGHTING THAT CAME TO BE KNOWN AS "THE PHOENIX
LIGHTS." >> WHAT PEOPLE SAW ON MARCH 13,
1997, PUT HALE BOPP TO SHAME. >> THE MOST FAMOUS ASPECT OF
THE CASE IS THE VIDEOTAPED FOOTAGE OF ANOMALOUS LIGHTS
THAT APPEARED OVER PHOENIX AROUND 10 PM.
ACCORDING TO EYEWITNESSES, THE LIGHTS SEEN ARE RED
OR ORANGE IN COLOR, AND APPEAR TO BLINK ON.
>> THEY ALSO VERY INTERESTINGLY DESCRIBE THEM AS HOVERING
OR MAINTAINING ALTITUDE. THEY DON'T SEEM TO DESCEND
OVER TIME. >> BUT THE 10:00 LIGHTS ARE ONLY
PART OF A COMPLICATED STORY. EARLIER THAT SAME EVENING,
REPORTS FLOOD IN FROM ACROSS THE STATE OF ADDITIONAL
SIGHTINGS. SOME DESCRIBE A V-SHAPED
FORMATION OF LIGHTS, WHILE OTHERS CLAIM THEY SEE
AN ACTUAL BOOMERANG-SHAPED CRAFT. ACCORDING TO
THE EYEWITNESSES, WHAT IS SEEN IN THE SKIES ABOVE ARIZONA
IS ABSOLUTELY ENORMOUS. REPORTS DESCRIBE THE CRAFT
AS BEING NEARLY A MILE WIDE. AT TIMES, IT HOVERS SILENTLY
IN THE NIGHT SKY. BUT IT IS ALSO CAPABLE OF ACHIEVING INCREDIBLE
SPEEDS. CLEARLY, THIS MASSIVE CRAFT IS UNLIKE ANYTHING
KNOWN TO EXIST. >> THE PEOPLE WHO WATCHED IT
WERE ACTUALLY IN SHOCK. >> THE BOOMERANG IS ALLEGEDLY
SPOTTED AS EARLY AS 7:55 PM IN HENDERSON, NEVADA.
THEN IN PAULDEN, ARIZONA, AT 8:15.
PRESCOTT AT 8:17. PHOENIX AT 8:30.
AND TUCSON AT 8:45. NO IMAGES OF THIS MASSIVE CRAFT
ARE KNOWN TO EXIST. ARE THESE SEPARATE SIGHTINGS,
OR DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THE SAME EVENT?
THE INVESTIGATION AIMS TO FIND THE ANSWERS TO
THE NUMEROUS EVENTS IN ARIZONA'S CLOUDED SKIES.
PAT USKERT WILL UNCOVER LOCAL HISTORY OF UFO SIGHTINGS
IN THE PHOENIX AREA. >> I THINK WE'RE REALLY TALKING
ABOUT SOMETHING THAT IS EITHER SO TOP SECRET THAT IT'S DECADES
AHEAD OF WHAT WE KNOW, OR WE'RE LOOKING AT A GENUINE
EXTRATERRESTRIAL VISITATION HERE.
>> DR. TED ACKWORTH WILL EXAMINE THE VIDEO EVIDENCE OF THE 10:00
LIGHTS, AND WILL CONDUCT AN EXPERIMENT TO REPLICATE
THE EVENT. >> ONE THING I WANT TO LOOK AT
CLOSELY IS THE DYNAMIC ASPECT OF THESE LIGHTS; HOW THEY MOVE
OR DON'T MOVE THROUGH THE NIGHT SKY.
>> AND BILL BURNS WILL ANALYZE THE NATURE OF THE ALLEGED
BOOMERANG CRAFT. >> A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY
THAT THE CRAFT OVER PHOENIX THAT NIGHT AT 8:00 WAS AN
EXTRA TERRESTRIAL SPACE CRAFT. >> THE INVESTIGATION HAS
ENLISTED THE HELP OF DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER JAMES FOX.
HE HAS BEEN CHASING THIS MYSTERY SINCE 1997.
>> I HAVE BEEN INVESTIGATING THIS FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
SOMETHING VERY LARGE FLEW OVER THE STATE OF ARIZONA,
AND TO THIS DAY, IT REMAINS INEXPLICABLE.
>> LIGHTS IN THE SKY OVER PHOENIX ARE NOTHING NEW.
CARVED INTO THESE MOUNTAIN ROCKS ARE ANCIENT CLUES THAT
THE HOHOKAM INDIANS MAY HAVE SEEN UFOs MORE THAN
1,000 YEARS AGO. THE NIGHT SKIES OVER PHOENIX
SEEM TO HAVE A HISTORY OF STRANGE EVENTS THAT LED
TO THE 1997 MASS SIGHTING, AND THROUGH TO THE PRESENT DAY.
>> I BELIEVE THEY WERE NOT OF THIS WORLD.
>> AND I THOUGHT, WOW, I'M JUST SEEING THINGS THAT MOST PEOPLE
ARE NEVER GOING TO SEE IN A LIFETIME.
>> THESE EVENTS OCCURRED OVER 11 YEARS AGO. WHY ARE PEOPLE
STILL TALKING ABOUT THEM? >> THE EYEWITNESSES AREN'T
BUYING THE EXPLANATION. >><i> UFO HUNTERS</i> ASKED FOR
AND RECEIVED AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM THE AIR FORCE
IN REGARD TO THE 10:00 LIGHTS OVER PHOENIX ON MARCH 13, 1997.
IT STATES THAT THE LIGHTS WERE CAUSED BY LU-U2 ILLUMINATION
FLARES DROPPED BY A10 THUNDERBOLTS. THE MARYLAND AIR
NATIONAL GUARD PERFORMED THE DROP AS A TRAINING MISSION
OVER THE BARRY GOLDWATER MOUNTAIN RANGE.
>> THE ONLY EXPLANATION IS, FLARES FROM THE MARYLAND
NATIONAL GUARD? >> THEY ARE SAYING THAT THERE
WERE FLARES DROPPED FROM THE INTERNATIONAL GUARD,
AND I THINK A LOT OF THE WITNESSES
IN THE VIDEOTAPED EVIDENCE WOULD SUGGEST OTHERWISE.
>> AS THE INITIAL STEP IN HIS INVESTIGATION, PAT CHECKS IN
WITH RICHARD RUELES, A REPORTER FOR THE<i> ARIZONA
REPUBLIC.</i> RUELAS HAS BEEN COVERING THE PHOENIX LIGHTS
PHENOMENON SINCE THE BEGINNING. >> A LOT OF TIMES, UFOs ARE SEEN
IN LITTLE, SMALL, RURAL AREAS. THIS WAS AN EVENT OVER
A MAJOR CITY, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE SAW IT. SO IT'S NOT
SOMETHING THAT CAN BE EASILY DISCOUNTED.
>> BUT APPARENTLY THERE WERE 2 INCIDENCES--2 EVENTS?
>> ONE OF THE BIG CONFUSIONS ABOUT THE PHOENIX LIGHTS
IS THAT THERE WERE 2 SEPARATE INCIDENTS THAT NIGHT.
AROUND 8:00, PEOPLE SEE A V FORMATION. ABOUT 10:00,
THERE ARE HOVERING ORBS ON THE WESTERN PART OF PHOENIX.
THAT'S NOT WHAT MOST PEOPLE SAW. MOST PEOPLE WHO SAW THE PHOENIX
LIGHTS ON THE GROUND SAW THIS V OVERHEAD.
AN IMPORTANT FIGURE IN THE STORY OF THE PHOENIX LIGHTS
IS COUNCILWOMAN FRANCES EMMA BARWOOD.
ON MAY 6, 1997, CITING PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERNS, BARWOOD ASKS
FOR AN OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION INTO THE INCIDENTS
OF MARCH 13th. >> JUST THE MERE MENTION
OF A POLITICIAN THAT WE SHOULD SPEND STATE OR GOVERNMENT
RESOURCES ON INVESTIGATING A UFO GETS HER LAUGHED AT.
>> WHY WOULD PEOPLE STICK THEIR NECKS OUTS AND GET BURNED WHEN
THERE WAS REALLY NOTHING GOING ON THAT NIGHT? FOR ME TO IMAGINE
IT WAS MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, I THINK MAYBE IT WAS MUCH ADO
ABOUT SOMETHING. >> ALL FRANCES SAID WAS,
AS A MATTER OF PUBLIC SAFETY, WHAT'S HOVERING OVER THE CITY
OF PHOENIX? THE WORD "UFO" WAS NEVER UTTERED. SHE NEVER
SAID THE WORD "E.T.," "EXTRATERRESTRIAL," "FLYING
SAUCER," "SPACECRAFT." SHE NEVER SAID IT.
>> I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND, WHY DOESN'T ANYBODY WANT TO KNOW
THE TRUTH? THE<i> ARIZONA REPUBLIC</i> DID CARTOONS WITH, YOU KNOW,
I THINK IT WAS FLYING SAUCERS GOING IN ONE EAR AND OUT
THE OTHER, AND ANOTHER ONE WITH A SWITCH ON THE SIDE OF MY HEAD
GOING OFF. NOT ONLY DO THEY NOT WANT TO
KNOW, IT'S LIKE THOU DOTH PROTEST TOO MUCH.
>> SO FRANCIS, WHAT SORT OF RESPONSE WAS THERE?
>> I STARTED GETTING PHONE CALLS AT 7:00 IN THE MORNING.
IT DIDN'T STOP UNTIL 11:00 THAT NIGHT. AND OVER THE SUMMER,
WE TAKE A BREAK. AND I TRIED TO CALL BACK EVERYBODY.
I CALLED OVER 700 PEOPLE. >> DID YOU PURSUE ANY
INVESTIGATION ON YOUR OWN TO FOLLOW UP ON THIS?
>> I REFERRED ALL THE PHONE CALLS TO THE GOVERNOR.
THE GOVERNOR, SYMINGTON AT THE TIME.
>> ARIZONA'S GOVERNOR, FIFE SYMINGTON, IS PRESSURED
TO FIND AN ANSWER TO THE SIGHTINGS.
HE CALLS A PRESS CONFERENCE ON THE MORNING OF JUNE 19, 1997.
SYMINGTON STATES THAT HE WILL LOOK INTO THE ISSUE.
>> WE'RE GOING TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT. WE'RE GOING
TO FIND OUT IF IT WAS A UFO. >> LATER THAT SAME AFTERNOON,
THE GOVERNOR CALLS FOR ANOTHER, UNSCHEDULED PRESS CONFERENCE.
>> 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. >> AND HE STARTS TALKING ABOUT
THE PHOENIX LIGHTS, AND WE THOUGHT, WELL, HE'S REALLY
GOING TO CHECK INTO THIS. ANYWAY, OUT WALKS HIS CHIEF OF
STAFF IN THIS COSTUME, LIKE AN EXTRATERRESTRIAL,
AND WE REALIZE THIS WAS A BIG JOKE.
[LAUGHTER] >> YOU KNOW, FIRST OF ALL,
NOT AT ALL LIKE FIFE. DOESN'T HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR.
>> THIS JUST GOES TO SHOW THAT YOU GUYS ARE ENTIRELY
TOO SERIOUS. [LAUGHTER]
[APPLAUSE] >> WAS IT YOUR PERCEPTION,
OR IS IT YOUR PERCEPTION TO THIS DAY THAT THERE WAS
SOMETHING ORGANIZED AGAINST YOU BECAUSE YOU DARED TO ASK THAT
QUESTION ONCE AT A CITY COUNCIL MEETING?
>> IT SEEMS THAT WAY. SO MANY PEOPLE WANTED TO KNOW
THE ANSWERS. AND NEVER DID I HAVE ANYBODY NEGATIVE
FROM MY CONSTITUENTS, OR ANYBODY IN THE CITY, OR ANYBODY IN
THE STATE. THE NEGATIVITY CAME FROM GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.
>> BUT OTHER DETAILS EMERGE. STRANGE VIDEO TAKEN IN
THE DAYS, MONTHS, EVEN YEARS BEFORE THE MASS SIGHTING
MAY HOLD CLUES. AND THE GOVERNOR WHO LAUGHED
AT FIRST NOW MAKES A STUNNING REVERSAL. WHAT DID HE SEE
WITH HIS OWN EYES? >> I SAW A LARGE DELTA-SHAPED
DARK OBJECT. >> THAT NIGHT, WE SEEN A BUNCH
OF LIGHTS APPEAR, LIKE, OVER TOWARDS SOUTH MOUNTAIN AREA.
>> THE MARCH 13th, 1997 SIGHTINGS IN ARIZONA ARE
COMPLICATED, COMBINING MULTIPLE SIGHTINGS
ACROSS THE STATE. AN IMMENSE, BOOMERANG-LIKE
AIRCRAFT, SOMETIMES REPORTED AS 5 LIGHTS IN A D-SHAPED
FORMATION, AND PERHAPS MOST FAMOUSLY, A SERIES OF RED-ORANGE
ORBS ABOVE PHOENIX. BILL AND JAMES FOX ARE MEETING
WITH MIKE KRYSTON, AN EYEWITNESS TO THE PHOENIX LIGHTS.
>> TAKE A LOOK AT THIS! >> OH, MY GOD!
>> ON MARCH 13th, 1997, MIKE IS OUT ON HIS BALCONY,
ENJOYING THE COOL NIGHT AIR WHEN HE SPOTS A BRIGHT ORANGE
LIGHT IN THE DISTANCE. >> YOU TELL ME WHAT IT IS.
>> SO I WENT IN TO GET MY VIDEO CAMERA TO SHOOT IT, AND AS I WAS
DOING THAT, IT WENT OUT. AND ANOTHER LIGHT APPEARED
TO THE RIGHT OF THIS THING, A LITTLE BIT LOWER.
THAT LIGHT WENT ON. THEN ANOTHER ONE WENT ON.
BEFORE I KNEW IT, THIS ENTIRE ARRAY OF LIGHTS HAD GONE ON.
8 OR 9 LIGHTS, AND THEY FORMED THIS ARC.
I VIDEOTAPED AFTER ABOUT 2 1/2 MINUTES, AND THEN THE LIGHTS
SLOWLY STARTED TO GO OFF ONE AT A TIME, AND NOT
IN THE SAME ORDER THAT THEY WENT ON.
>> THE AIR FORCE'S EXPLANATION FOR THE LIGHTS IS THAT THEY WERE
CAUSED BY LU/U2 ILLUMINATION FLARES. ACCORDING TO OFFICIAL
DOCUMENTS, THE FLARES WERE DROPPED FROM A-10 THUNDERBOLTS
AS PART OF AN ANNUAL TRAINING EXERCISE CALLED "OPERATION
SNOWBIRD." THE FLARES WERE IGNITED OVER
THE BARRY GOLDWATER GUNNERY RANGE, BEYOND THE ESTRELLA
MOUNTAINS. BOTH ARE VISIBLE FROM MIKE'S HOUSE.
>> HAD YOU EVER SEEN A LIGHT LIKE THAT BEFORE IN YOUR LIFE?
>> I HAD NOT. I'VE ALWAYS SEEN MAYBE ONE OR TWO LIGHTS OR SO
OFF IN THE DISTANCE. AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE EVER SEEN
THEM THIS FAR TO THE EAST. THEY WERE EXTREMELY BRIGHT
COMPARED TO ANY OTHER LIGHTS THAT I'VE SEEN BEFORE.
AND I THOUGHT IT WAS UNUSUAL THE WAY THEY HELD THEIR PATTERN.
>> IS THAT WHAT THE FLARES USUALLY DO, THAT YOU'VE SEEN
IN THE PAST? >> NO. FLARES WILL DROP IN
DIFFERENT RATES. THEY WILL DRIFT BECAUSE OF THE WIND,
AND THEY WON'T HOLD A PATTERN. >> LIGHTS THAT MIKE SAW,
ONE, LOOKED NOTHING LIKE THE FLARES HE'D SEEN BEFORE.
TWO, THEY WERE PRECEDED BY AN ORANGE ORB THAT MIKE COULDN'T
IDENTIFY. COULD THEY HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT TYPES OF FLARES?
THOSE ARE THE QUESTIONS WE HAVE TO ANSWER.
>> WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU CAPTURED ON VIDEOTAPE THAT
NIGHT? >> COULD HAVE BEEN ONE OF THREE
THINGS IN MY ESTIMATION. NUMBER ONE, THEY COULD HAVE BEEN
A HOAX, WHICH I DON'T THINK IT COULD HAVE BEEN A HOAX, BECAUSE
IT WAS PRETTY ELABORATE. IT COULD HAVE BEEN AN ALIEN
SPACECRAFT, BUT I HAVE NO PROOF OF THAT. AND THE ONLY OTHER
THING THAT I CAN FIGURE OUT, IT COULD BE SOME KIND OF
A MILITARY EXPERIMENT. >> SOME OF THE BEHAVIORS OF
THESE LIGHTS STRIKE ME AS STRANGE, AS DESCRIBED BY
THE WITNESSES, AND THEREFORE THEY DEFINITELY BEAR FURTHER
INVESTIGATION. >> TED SETS HIS SIGHTS ON
A FLARE EXPERIMENT HE PLANS TO CONDUCT IN CALIFORNIA'S
LONG BEACH HARBOR. USING HAND-LAUNCHED MARITIME PARACHUTE
FLARES, HE WILL TEST THE MILITARY'S EXPLANATION.
ANOTHER WITNESS TO THE 10:00 LIGHTS OVER PHOENIX IS
DR. LYNNE KITEI. A PHYSICIAN AND DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER,
DR. KITEI CHOOSES TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS FOR 7 YEARS AFTER
THE INCIDENT. IN 2004, AT GREAT RISK TO HER
PROFESSIONAL REPUTATION, SHE COMES FORWARD WITH
THE STUNNING REVELATION THAT THESE LIGHTS HAVE APPEARED
BEFORE. >> I WAS EXPERIENCING THESE
PHENOMENA FOR 2 YEARS PRIOR TO THE MASS SIGHTING.
I HAD A VERY CLOSE SIGHTING TO OUR HOME.
I TRIED TO TAKE EVERYTHING IN-- THE SIZE, THE SHAPE, THE COLOR.
THEY WERE ABOUT 3 TO 6 FEET EACH. THEY WERE ORBS.
THERE WAS A UNIFORM AMBER COLOR THROUGHOUT. IT DIDN'T GLARE
AT ALL. >> ACCORDING TO DR. KITEI,
ANOTHER SET OF LIGHTS APPEARED IN JANUARY, 1997, 2 MONTHS
BEFORE THE MASS SIGHTINGS OVER PHOENIX. SHE SEES WHAT
SHE BELIEVES TO BE A MASSIVE TRIANGULAR FORMATION,
AND SHE MANAGES TO CAPTURE THE TRIANGLE SHAPE ON FILM.
>> THERE WERE 6 POINTS OF LIGHT THAT SEEMED TO BE ATTACHED
TO SOMETHING, MOVING SLOWLY IN TANDEM, BEHIND SOUTH
MOUNTAIN. >> AFTER SEEING STRANGE LIGHTS
IN BOTH FEBRUARY, 1995, AND JANUARY, 1997, DR. KITEI
IS NOT SURPRISED WHEN SHE SEES SOME FAMILIAR LIGHTS 2 MONTHS
LATER ON MARCH 13. >> I SAW THE 6 LIGHTS POP ON,
AND I FUMBLED WITH MY CAMERA TO GET OUT THERE REALLY QUICK.
AND BY THE TIME I GOT IT FOCUSED, THAT'S WHAT I SAW.
>> AND WE'RE LOOKING IN THE DIRECTION OF SOUTH MOUNTAIN?
>> YES, TO THE AIRPORT. >> SO, LYNNE, JUST TO PLAY
DEVIL'S ADVOCATE FOR A MINUTE, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO SOMEONE
WHO SUGGESTED THAT WHAT YOU SAW WAS A MILITARY FLARE?
>> THERE'S NO WAY THAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN MILITARY. MILITARY
FLARES FLICKER AND THEY CAN KEEP THE FORMATION. THEY DRIFT
WITH THE WIND. THESE WERE ORBS. >> ANOTHER EYEWITNESS WHO
MANAGES TO CAPTURE HIS EXPERIENCE ON TAPE
IS STEVEN BLONDER, THE AUTHOR OF<i> ORACLE OF
THE PHOENIX.</i> AND LIKE DR. KITEI, MARCH 13 WAS NOT
THE FIRST TIME THAT STEVE AND HIS NEIGHBOR,
JAYLENE BRUGLAN, CLAIM TO HAVE SEEN SOMETHING INEXPLICABLE
IN THE PHOENIX SKY. >> MARCH 10th WAS THE FIRST
NIGHT THAT I SAW STRANGE LIGHTS IN THE SKY.
>> DID YOU SEE IT ON THERE? >> YEAH, I GOT IT.
I GOT OUT MY VIDEO CAMERA, AND I STARTED FILMING THIS
THING; TRYING TO GET A CLOSE UP OF WHAT IT WAS. AND IT WAS THIS
ORANGE PULSATING LIGHT THAT WAS UNLIKE ANYTHING I'VE EVER SEEN
IN MY LIFE. >> JAYLENE, HOW DID YOU GET
INVOLVED IN THIS? >> HIS WIFE SUSIE CAME OVER
THE NEXT DAY AND JUST WAS IN, LIKE, SHOCK, AND SAID,
"WE SAW A UFO LAST NIGHT!" >> FOR THE NEXT 3 NIGHTS,
STEVE'S BALCONY BECOMES THE SCENE OF NIGHTLY
VIEWING PARTIES. >> SUSIE? THEY'RE BACK.
>> AND EACH NIGHT, THEY ARE NOT DISAPPOINTED. BUT IT'S
THE SIGHTING ON THE 13th THAT CAPTIVATES STEVE
AND JAYLENE AS WELL AS THE REST OF PHOENIX.
>> MAJOR SIGHTING HERE. >> THERE'S PROBABLY FIVE.
>> ANOTHER ONE JUST SHOWED UP! >> LIKE THE OTHER EYEWITNESSES
TO THE LIGHTS, NEITHER STEVE NOR JAYLENE ACCEPT THE OFFICIAL
EXPLANATION FOR WHAT THEY SAW THAT NIGHT.
>> I WAS VERY UPSET WHEN I SAW THE FIRST STORY COME OUT,
BECAUSE I KNEW IT WASN'T FLARES. >> THE FLARES THAT ANGIE CLAIMED
THEY DROPPED WERE LU/U2 ILLUMINATION FLARES.
THE EYEWITNESSES WERE SURPRISED THAT THERE WASN'T ANY
ILLUMINATION OR SKY LIT UP AROUND THE FLARES. BUT IT IS
POSSIBLE THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS THAT NIGHT WOULDN'T
HAVE ALLOWED FOR THAT KIND OF REFLECTION AROUND THE FLARE.
>><i> UFO HUNTERS</i> INVITES JAYLENE AND HER HUSBAND JASON,
ALSO AN EYEWITNESS THAT NIGHT, TO PARTICIPATE IN AN EXPERIMENT
SPEARHEADED BY TED IN LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA.
>> WE'RE DOING THE BEST WE CAN TO APPROXIMATE WHAT WOULD HAVE
BEEN THE KIND OF MILITARY FLARES THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN
DEPLOYED FROM AIRCRAFT, AND WE'LL SEE IF OUR WITNESSES,
WHO SAW THE LIGHTS OVER PHOENIX, THINK THAT THESE LIGHTS LOOK
LIKE THE MILITARY EXPLANATION. >> THE TEAM IS USING STANDARD
MARITIME FLARES IN PLACE OF THE LU/U2 MILITARY FLARES.
MARITIME FLARES ARE USED BY SHIPS IN DISTRESS TO VISUALLY
SIGNAL RESCUERS. WHEN LAUNCHED, THEY SHOOT NEARLY 1,000 FEET
INTO THE AIR. BOTH THE LU/U2 AND MARITIME
FLARES ARE DEPLOYED WITH PARACHUTES, AND TED IS PRIMARILY
INTERESTED IN THE WAY THE FLARE'S FLIGHT CHARACTERISTICS
ARE PERCEIVED BY THE WITNESSES. >> WELL, I HAVE NO WAY OF
PREDICTING WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. WE'LL JUST HAVE TO
LAUNCH THESE FLARES AND SEE WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE.
>> WE'RE ALL READY TO SHOOT, AND WE'VE GOT 5 FLARES.
MAKE SURE THEY'RE LOOKING AT THE TRAJECTORY. THAT'S ONE OF
THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECTS HERE IN THE TEST. OK, WE'RE GOING
LIVE IN 10 SECONDS. >> THE FLARES ARE SENT ALOFT.
NOW IT'S UP TO THE WITNESSES TO DECIDE. BUT COULD THERE BE
ANOTHER MILITARY ANGLE TO THIS CASE? THE LIGHTS OVER PHOENIX
COULD MASK ONE OF THE LARGEST CLANDESTINE GOVERNMENT PROJECTS
EVER CREATED, A TOP SECRET STEALTH AIRCRAFT THAT IS UTTERLY
ENORMOUS. >> THE UFO HUNTERS ARE IN
LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA, CONDUCTING A FLARE EXPERIMENT
WITH JAYLENE AND JASON BRUGLAN. EYEWITNESSES TO THE SO-CALLED
PHOENIX LIGHTS EVENT OF MARCH 13th, 1997.
>> THE OFFICIAL EXPLANATION PUT FORWARD BY THE INTERNATIONAL
GUARD IS THAT THE LIGHTS OVER PHOENIX WERE FLARES,
LU/U2 FLARES DROPPED FROM A-10 WARTHOGS.
>> BECAUSE TED IS PRIMARILY CONCERNED WITH THE FLIGHT
CHARACTERISTICS, HE'LL SUBSTITUTE ONE PARACHUTE FLARE
FOR ANOTHER USING MARITIME FLAIRS INSTEAD OF THE LU/U2s.
THEY ARE EASIER TO CONTROL, AND THE EYEWITNESSES CAN BE CLOSER
TO THE SOURCE OF LIGHT. >> DO YOU HAVE ANY SPECIAL
INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE WITNESSES? >> WE WANT TO MAKE SURE
THE WITNESSES ARE LOOKING AT A FEW DIFFERENT THINGS.
PRIMARILY, THE TRAJECTORIES OF THE FLARES. AS THEY FLOAT DOWN,
THEY FOLLOW A SIMILAR TRAJECTORY TO WHAT THEY HAD SEEN IN
PHOENIX. OK, GUYS, WE ARE LOCKED AND
LOADED. EYES ON THE SKY IN 10 SECONDS.
>> I'LL TAKE ONE. OK, YOU READY?
>> ONE. >> THERE IT IS. THERE'S
THE FIRST ONE. >> NICE.
>> LET'S CALL IT IN. TED CALLING PAT AND BILL.
SO, HOW WAS IT? >> WHAT I NOTICED IS EVEN
THOUGH THEY WERE--THE OTHER ONES CAME ON AT DIFFERENT TIMES, BUT
THEY ALL WERE STAYING IN A LINE. >> THE ONES THAT WE SAW WERE
HOVERING, MAINTAINED ALTITUDE. THEY NEVER DROPPED.
>> YEAH. >> THE LIGHTS WENT OUT AT
THE SAME ALTITUDE. >> WOULD YOU GUYS SAY WHAT YOU
SAW THAT NIGHT IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT YOU JUST SAW
RIGHT NOW? >> TOTALLY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT
THESE FLARES SHOWED HERE TONIGHT.
>> WE DO KNOW THERE ARE MANY OTHER WITNESSES. AND SOME OF
THE THINGS THEY'VE DESCRIBED JUST DO NOT SEEM POSSIBLY
CONSISTENT WITH FLARES. THE HANG TIMES, THE BLINKING ON
AND OFF. THE SPREAD OVER THE DISTANCE, THE VELOCITIES
JUST ARE NOT CONSISTENT WITH ANY KIND OF FLARE CONFIGURATION THAT
I COULD IMAGINE. SO IT REALLY LEAVES ME WONDERING OVERALL
WHETHER OR NOT IT COULD HAVE BEEN FLARES IN '97.
>> WITH EYEWITNESSES DISCOUNTING FLARES IN THE FIELD TEST, TED
TURNS TO THE VIDEO FROM THAT NIGHT TO SEE IF ANY OTHER
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LIGHTS COULD BE DISTINGUISHED. TED AND
IMAGE ANALYST TERRANCE MASSON STUDY THE 10:00 FOOTAGE FROM
BOTH MIKE KRYZSTON AND STEVE BLONDER.
>> WE HAVE A SOURCE FROM MIKE IN THE NORTHERN PART OF PHOENIX AND
STEVE, WHO'S IN SORT OF THE SOUTHERN SIDE. THEY'RE ABOUT
15 MILES APART, ROUGHLY, ACROSS THE BASIN. IT SEEMS THAT THEY'VE
BOTH TAKEN FOOTAGE OF WHAT APPEARS ON INITIAL ANALYSIS TO
BE THE SAME THING. >> TO THE NAKED EYE, THE LIGHTS
IN THE FOOTAGE SEEM TO BE OVER THE CITY. AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES,
THE LIGHTS APPEAR TO BLINK OUT. >> THERE ARE THEORIES THAT
THEY'RE FLARES, THAT THEY'RE FLAMING OUT.
>> NOW, THE CURIOUS THING IS THAT WHEN THEY GO OFF, THEY
DON'T GO OFF IN ORDER. >> IF THEY WERE FLARES GETTING
DROPPED OUT OF AN AIRCRAFT SUCCESSIVELY AND THEIR BURN
TIMES ARE APPROXIMATELY EQUAL, THEY'D PROBABLY FLARE OUT IN
ORDER AS WELL. >> THOUGH THE BEHAVIOR OF
THE LIGHTS SEEMS TO CONTRADICT THE FLARE EXPLANATION, THEIR
PHYSICAL APPEARANCE MAY BACK UP THE AIR FORCE'S CLAIMS.
>> SO REGARDING THE LU/U2 FLARE THEORY FROM THE MILITARY,
WE KNOW FORMATICALLY THEY'RE PRETTY WHITE.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? FROM THE FOOTAGE HERE, IS THAT
CONSISTENT WITH THE MILITARY'S EXPLANATION?
>> IT SEEMS TO BE. BUT AS WE'VE SEEN, MANY TIMES THE VIDEO
QUALITY--MOST OF THESE LIGHTS, IF THEY DO HAVE ANY COLOR IN
THEM THAT YOU SEE WITH THE NAKED EYE, THEY'RE STILL GONNA SHOW UP
ON VIDEO AS WHITE. IT'S BASICALLY OVEREXPOSED AGAINST
BLACK. >> RIGHT, EVEN IF THERE'S COLOR.
IT'S NOT PROOF THAT THEY ARE FLARES, BUT IT'S--IT'S--
>> IT'S DEFINITELY A POSSIBILITY, RIGHT.
>> I'M ON THE FENCE, I GUESS I'D HAVE TO SAY. IT SEEMS PRETTY
UNLIKELY TO ME THAT THESE WERE A STRING OF FLARES FLOATING DOWN
ON PARACHUTES. BUT THEN AGAIN, WE'RE DEALING WITH APPEARANCES.
WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF QUANTITATIVE DATA ON THIS. AND I
DON'T REALLY FEEL THAT THEY ARE FLARES. I CAN'T QUANTITATIVELY
PROVE IT ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. >> PAT AND BILL RETURN TO
ARIZONA IN ORDER TO TRACK DOWN WITNESSES TO THE OTHER MULTIPLE
SIGHTINGS ON THE NIGHT OF MARCH 13, 1997. THEY ARE ON
THE TRAIL OF AN ALLEGED SECOND OBJECT SEEN ON THE SAME NIGHT.
WITNESSES REPORT A BOOMERANG-SHAPED CRAFT FLYING
OVER THE STATE OF ARIZONA BETWEEN 8:00 AND 10:00 PM
BECAUSE THERE ARE NO KNOWN PHOTOGRAPHS OR VIDEO OF THIS
ALLEGED MASSIVE CRAFT,<i> UFO</i> <i>HUNTERS</i> HAS ENLISTED THE HELP
OF JOHN BAVARESKO, A SKETCH ARTIST AND COMPUTER GRAPHIC
EXPERT. BASED ON MULTIPLE EYEWITNESS TESTIMONIES, JOHN
WILL CREATE A COMPOSITE IMAGE OF WHAT WAS IN THE SKIES OVER
ARIZONA THAT NIGHT. DANA VALENTINE IS SITTING ON
THE BACK PORCH OF HIS FATHER'S HOUSE WHEN HE SEES 5 LIGHTS IN
A V FORMATION APPROACH. >> I WATCHED A LITTLE LONGER.
AND CAME ABOUT 10 MINUTES, AND I FIGURED THESE SHOULD BE ON TOP
OF ME BY NOW. >> INTRIGUED, DANA BRINGS HIS
FATHER OUTSIDE TO WATCH THE LIGHTS WITH HIM.
>> WE COULDN'T TELL IF IT WAS 5 UNITS OR ONE HUGE ONE.
BUT AS IT GOT CLOSER, WE BELIEVED THAT IT WAS STARTING TO
BE ONE BIG ONE BECAUSE IT WAS JUST HUGE.
>> SO IT LOOKED LIKE IT DID HAVE A BODY SHAPE TO IT?
>> WELL, IT DEFINITELY WAS ONE BIG OBJECT TO ME.
>> HOW BIG WOULD YOU SAY THAT IT WAS?
>> IF I HAD TO GO FROM THE LEFT LIGHT TO THE RIGHT LIGHT, I'D
HAVE TO SAY PROBABLY CLOSE TO A MILE.
>> JOHN TAKES THE VISUAL DETAILS AND PUTS THE INFORMATION INTO
THE C.G.I. PROGRAM. HE SHOWS THE IMAGE TO DANA.
>> OK, WHAT I'VE DONE HERE IS AN ANIMATION OF A DIRECT
OVERHEAD SHOT, BASICALLY ON HOW YOU WITNESSED IT AS IT PASSED
OVER. >> THE LIGHTS LOOK GOOD.
THE SIZE IS RIGHT. THAT'S DEFINITELY--THAT'S DEFINITELY
WHAT I SAW. >> DANA'S DESCRIPTION OF
A V FORMATION IS CONSISTENT WITH OTHER WITNESS TESTIMONY.
A MILE FROM TIP TO TIP, 5 LARGE LIGHTS, AND COMPLETELY
NOISELESS IN FLIGHT. BILL, JAMES, AND JOHN MEET WITH
ANOTHER WITNESS--TERRY MANSFIELD, WHO CLAIMS TO HAVE
OBSERVED A BOOMERANG-SHAPED CRAFT.
>> ALL OF THE SUDDEN ONE OF MY VOLUNTEERS POINTED STRAIGHT UP
AND SAID, "OH, MY GOSH, WHAT'S THAT?" AND WE ALL LOOKED
STRAIGHT UP. THE FIRST THING I NOTICED WAS THAT THERE WERE NO
MORE STARS. I COULDN'T SEE THE STARS ANYMORE IN THE SKY.
AND IT APPEARED AS IF THERE WERE A BLACK, SHIMMERY, SATINY PIECE
OF MATERIAL RIGHT OVER MY HEAD. >> TERRY SEEMS TO SEE DETAILS
THAT FEW OTHERS REPORT. THE CRAFT SEEMS TO SHIMMER IN
THE NIGHT SKY. >> IT WAS SO BIG. I COULD NOT
SEE THE FRONT, THE BACK, SIDE TO SIDE OF THIS CRAFT.
>> WAS IT SO LARGE THAT IT SPANNED FROM HORIZON TO HORIZON,
THEN? >> WHERE I WAS STANDING, I COULD
NOT SEE THE EDGES OF THIS, WHATEVER IT WAS THAT WAS FLYING
OVERHEAD. >> YOU SAID YOU SAW A SURFACE ON
THE BOTTOM OF THIS CRAFT AND IT WAS KIND OF SHIMMERY.
>> YEAH, IT WAS AS IF THERE WAS A SOFT RIPPLE OF AN UNDULATION
THAT WAS VERY FLUID. I FELT LIKE I COULD REACH UP AND TOUCH IT.
>> TERRY'S PAST EXPERIENCE MAKES HER A KNOWLEDGEABLE WITNESS WHEN
IT COMES TO AIRCRAFT. >> HAVING BEEN IN THE AIR FORCE
WITH MY HUSBAND FOR 22 YEARS, AND MY FATHER-IN-LAW IS
AN AIR FORCE PILOT FOR 26 YEARS. WE'VE SEEN JETS, WE'VE SEEN
PLANES, WE'VE SEEN HELICOPTERS, WE'VE SEEN ALL KINDS OF MILITARY
AIRCRAFT. >> WELL, I THINK I'VE GOT
SOMETHING HERE THAT COULD REPRESENT WHAT TERRY SAW. SEE IF
THIS WORKS OUT. >> WOW. YES. YOU'VE GOT
THE UNDULATION JUST RIGHT. YOU'VE GOT THE--WE'VE GOT BLACK,
SILVERS, LITTLE GRAYS. IT LOOKS VERY FLUID. VERY, VERY SIMILAR
TO WHAT I SAW. YOU KNOW, RIGHT. IT'S JUST BECAUSE THE WHOLE
SCREEN IS COVERED WITH WHAT I SAW THAT NIGHT, WHICH IS--THAT'S
EXACTLY-- >> THAT THING'S JUST ENORMOUS.
>> ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL FORMS OF EVIDENCE IS
CORROBORATING WITNESS TESTIMONY FROM PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW EACH
OTHER, NEVER HEARD OF EACH OTHER. SO WHAT THIS DOES FOR
THE CASE IS IT ADDS ANOTHER MOSAIC TILE TO A MUCH LARGER
PICTURE. >> ORBS, A MYSTERIOUS STRING OF
LIGHTS, AND A MASSIVE V-SHAPED OBJECT THAT APPEARS TO UNDULATE
ARE ALL REPORTED OVER PHOENIX IN MARCH 1997. ARE THESE SIGHTINGS
ALL RELATED OR COMPLETELY SEPARATE INCIDENTS? AND IS IT
POSSIBLE THAT THE TECHNOLOGY RESPONSIBLE IS A TOP SECRET
INVENTION OF OUR OWN? >> THERE ARE LARGE VEHICLES THAT
SORT OF FIT SOME OF THE DESCRIPTIONS YOU HEARD.
>> WHATEVER WAS GOING OVER MY HEAD, IT SEEMED TO BE SO LOW
THAT I COULD REACH UP AND TOUCH IT. AND IT WAS ABSOLUTELY
SILENT. >> VIDEO EVIDENCE FROM
MARCH 13th, 1997, HAS SHOWN STRANGE LIGHT FORMATIONS
IN THE PHOENIX SKIES. AND NUMEROUS WITNESSES HAVE
REPORTED SOME UNEXPLAINED OBJECTS AND OTHER ORBS HOVERING
ABOVE ARIZONA. IS THERE SOMETHING ABOUT THIS
AREA THAT ATTRACTS THESE OBJECTS?
PAT MEETS JEFF WOOLWINE, A UFO RESEARCHER, AT THE FOOT
OF THE WHITE TANK MOUNTAINS. THESE HILLS ARE RIDDLED
WITH PETROGLYPHS, ROCK ART CARVED INTO THE LANDSCAPE
PRIMARILY BY THE HOHOKAM, A NATIVE AMERICAN
PEOPLE WHO LIVED HERE FROM 200 B.C.E. TO 1,400 C.E.,
AND THEN MYSTERIOUSLY DISAPPEARED.
>> CLEARLY, THE WHOLE, WE'RE SEEING THINGS IN THE SKY
AS WE'RE SEEING NOW, STRANGE OBJECTS, STRANGE LIGHTS,
IF YOU WILL. THEY DIDN'T HAVE VIDEO CAMERAS BACK THEN,
THEY HAD STONE BOWLERS TO RECORD SOMETHING SIGNIFICANT;
SOMETHING TO REMEMBER IN HISTORY. THEY WANTED TO COPY
THIS DOWN SO PEOPLE WOULD UNDERSTAND WHAT HAD HAPPENED
HERE. >> PAT AND JEFF HIKE TO THE SPOT
WHERE STRANGE PETROGLYPHS HAVE BEEN FOUND.
AMONG THE PETROGLYPHS IS AN IMAGE JEFF BELIEVES TO BE
SIGNIFICANT. >> YOU'LL NOTICE THIS
INTERESTING LINE HERE. IT HAS A BLACK HERE, A BLACK HERE,
A BLACK HERE, AND A LINE. IN TODAY'S WORLD, WHAT WE LIKE
TO CALL THEM IS BARBELLS. >> BARBELL-SHAPED UFOs, LIKE
THIS ONE VIDEOTAPED OVER PHOENIX ON JANUARY 24th, 2005,
ARE WELL-KNOWN TO MODERN RESEARCHERS. IT'S POSSIBLE THAT
LOCAL TRIBES PEOPLE WERE INSPIRED TO RECORD THEIR OWN
SIGHTINGS ON THESE VERY ROCKS NEARLY A MILLENNIUM AGO.
>> AND WHEN YOU SAY BARBELL, YOU MEAN A BARBELL-SHAPED UFO?
>> BARBELL-SHAPED UFO, CORRECT. >> RIGHT NOW, I'M LOOKING
AT GLYPHS THAT ARE VERY INTERESTING, BUT AGAIN,
THEY ARE JEFF'S INTERPRETATION. YOU COULD SPECULATE, COULD BE
THE CENTER OF THE STORM, BUT IT COULD ALSO BE A LIGHT
IN THE SKY. >> THAT'S CORRECT.
>> THESE PEOPLE COULD HAVE BEEN RECORDING UFOs, OR THEY COULD
HAVE BEEN RECORDING CELESTIAL EVENTS. YOU KNOW, STARS, COMETS,
THAT SORT OF THING. SO AT THIS TIME, IT'S JUST A THEORY,
BUT IT'S A VERY INTERESTING ONE. >> WHILE JEFF'S INTERPRETATION
IS A PERSONAL ONE, EVEN GOVERNMENT EXPERTS WHO HAVE
STUDIED THE PETROGLYPHS FOR YEARS HAVE DIFFICULTY EXPLAINING
SOME OF THE IMAGES. DOC TALBOYS IS A PARK RANGER
AND WORKS WITH THE ARIZONA STATE HISTORICAL PRESERVATION OFFICE
ON THE STUDY, CATALOGING AND MAPPING OF ALL THE SIGHTS
IN THE WHITE TANK MOUNTAIN REGIONAL PARK.
>> SO, DOC, WHAT'S YOUR TAKE ON THE WHITE TANK MOUNTAIN
PETROGLYPHS? >> THE HOHOKAMS REALLY OBSERVED
WHAT WAS GOING ON AROUND THEM. THEY HAD--THEY WERE GREAT
OBSERVERS OF CELESTIAL EVENTS, OF SEASONAL EVENTS. THEY REALLY
LEFT US AN INTERESTING PICTORIAL HISTORY OF THAT FROM THEIR POINT
OF VIEW. WE HAVE PICTURES THAT COULD LOOK LIKE ALIEN BEINGS,
MEN WEARING HELMETS. WE HAVE ONE OBVIOUS ONE THAT, YOU LOOK AT IT
ONE WAY, IT LOOKS LIKE A SAUCER WITH FIRE COMING OUT OF THE
BOTTOM. WE'RE STRICTLY SPECULATING ON WHAT THESE THINGS
MEAN. WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY MEAN. 'CAUSE THERE'S NO
ROSETTA STONE, THERE'S NO BRIDGE TO TRANSLATING WHAT THEY MIGHT
HAVE BEEN. >> BUT WHILE THE MYSTERIES OF
THE ANCIENT PETROGLYPHS ARE HIDDEN BY HISTORY, THE TRUTH
BEHIND THE LIGHTS SEEN OVER ARIZONA MAY HAVE BEEN
INTENTIONALLY KEPT SECRET. AT NEARBY MESA, ARIZONA,
BILL AND JAMES FOX ARRIVE AT THE ARIZONA WING
COMMEMORATIVE AIR FORCE MUSEUM. THEY ARE MEETING WITH AVIATION
EXPERT AND AUTHOR BILL SCOTT, WHO DID RESEARCH ON A HIGHLY
CLASSIFIED BLACK OPERATIONS AIRCRAFT FOR AN ARTICLE
IN<i> AVIATION WEEK</i> MAGAZINE. WHAT HE PIECED TOGETHER IN HIS
RESEARCH BEARS STRIKING SIMILARITIES TO WHAT WAS
WITNESSED OVER PHOENIX. >> APPARENTLY IT WAS UP TO
A MILE ACROSS. IT COULD FLY SILENTLY. IT COULD HOVER.
WHEN IT TOOK OFF, THE WITNESSES DESCRIBED IT AS HAD THEY
BLINKED, THEY WOULD HAVE MISSED IT. IT WAS A BOOMERANG SHAPE--
>> BOOMERANG? >> A BOOMERANG SHAPE, V-SHAPE.
>> YOU HAVE DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH. YOU'VE WRITTEN A LOT
OF ARTICLES FOR<i> AVIATION WEEK</i> AND<i> SPACE TECHNOLOGY.</i>
WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON THIS? >> WE CAME ACROSS A NUMBER OF
BLACK PROGRAMS, YOU KNOW, HIGHLY CLASSIFIED PROGRAMS,
THAT PROBABLY INCLUDED A NEAR NEUTRAL BUOYANCY. IN OTHER
WORDS, IT'S A VEHICLE FILLED WITH HELIUM AND IT HAD A RIGID
HULL. SO WE CALL THEM RIGID HULL AIRSHIPS. SOME OF THESE
THAT WERE REPORTED AS BEING VERY LARGE, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS
THE WINGSPAN OF A FOOTBALL FIELD. THEY TYPICALLY WERE
TRIANGULAR-SHAPED. SOME WERE SORT OF BOOMERANG
SHAPED. >> NO PICTURES, OFFICIAL
DIAGRAMS OR BLUEPRINTS OF THESE TYPES OF VEHICLES HAVE BEEN
RELEASED BY THE GOVERNMENT. IF THE U.S. MILITARY DOES
OPERATE THESE MASSIVE AIRCRAFT, THEY STILL REMAIN SECRET.
>> THESE THINGS MIGHT HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED FOR SPECIAL FORCES
OPERATIONS. THE NICE THING ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE DESIGN
IS, IT CAN CARRY FAIRLY LARGE PAYLOAD. SO IT CAN PUT AN ENTIRE
SMALL UNIT OF FULLY OUTFITTED TROOPS ONBOARD.
>> IS THERE ANY PROJECTED POINT, AT LEAST IN YOUR ESTIMATION,
WHEN THESE COVERT AIRCRAFT WILL BE REVEALED TO US?
>> THEY MAY NEVER BE REVEALED, BECAUSE AS LONG AS IT'S AN
ADVANTAGE, WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT THEM. THAT'S
THE WAY THE BLACK WORLD THINKS. >> WHILE THE RIGID HULL AIRSHIPS
SOUND SIMILAR TO REPORTS OF THE BOOMERANG, IT IS NOT
AN EXACT MATCH. SOME OF THE PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS,
SUCH AS AMAZING SPEED AND THE STRANGE UNDULATING
SURFACE DON'T SEEM TO BE CONSISTENT.
>> THE RIGID HULL AIRSHIPS THAT I LOOKED AT WOULD NOT
DISPLAY SOME OF THE CHARACTERISTICS THAT SOME
OF YOUR OBSERVERS DID. LIKE THIS IDEA OF BLINKING OUT
AND DISAPPEARING IMMEDIATELY, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN
THAT. I'M JUST SAYING THAT THERE ARE LARGE VEHICLES THAT SORT OF
FIT SOME OF THE DESCRIPTIONS YOU HEARD.
>> CAN THE EVENTS THAT TRANSPIRED IN ARIZONA BE
EXPLAINED BY THESE COVERT PROGRAMS, AND ARE THE UFO
STORIES MERELY PART OF A DISINFORMATION CAMPAIGN?
FORMER ARIZONA GOVERNOR FIFE SYMINGTON COMES FORWARD
TO PUT THE ISSUE TO REST ONCE AND FOR ALL.
>> I WOULD DESCRIBE WHAT I SAW AS BEING OTHER-WORLDLY.
>> BILL AND JAMES FOX ARE MEETING WITH FIFE SYMINGTON,
THE GOVERNOR OF ARIZONA FROM 1990 TO 1997.
ON JUNE 19th, 1997, THE GOVERNOR HOLDS A PRESS CONFERENCE
AND PROMISES TO INVESTIGATE THE PHOENIX LIGHTS EVENT.
BUT THEN, LATER THAT SAME AFTERNOON, HE CALLS ANOTHER
CONFERENCE AND BRINGS HIS CHIEF OF STAFF OUT BEFORE THE PRESS
DRESSED AS AN ALIEN. NOW, SYMINGTON EXPLAINS
HIS ACTIONS. >> THE WHOLE WORLD DESCENDED ON
US. WE WERE JUST INUNDATED FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD,
THE PEKING NEWS BUREAU, THE BBC, EVERYBODY SORT OF
DESCENDING ON PHOENIX ABOUT THE LIGHTS OVER PHOENIX AND WHAT
WAS HAPPENING. SO I GOT TOGETHER WITH MY STAFF AND MADE
THE DECISION AT THAT POINT TO DO A SPOOF TO TRY TO KIND OF
LIGHTEN THE ATMOSPHERE. BUT I DIDN'T REALIZE I WAS GOING
TO OFFEND SO MANY PEOPLE. I WAS JUST SIMPLY TRYING TO
KIND OF ADD SOME LEVITY TO THIS ATMOSPHERE, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS
REALLY STARTING TO GET A LITTLE TOO HYPED UP, A LITTLE OVER
THE TOP, TOO MUCH HYSTERIA. [LAUGHTER]
[APPLAUSE] >> YOU'VE SAID REPEATEDLY
THAT YOU PURSUED ALL THESE AVENUES TO GET TO THE BOTTOM
OF WHAT WAS GOING ON IN PHOENIX IN MARCH OF 1997. WHAT WERE
THOSE AVENUES, GOVERNOR, AND HOW DID YOU PURSUE THEM?
>> I ASKED MY STAFF TO CALL THE COMMANDING OFFICER AT LUKE
AIR FORCE BASE AND DO A CALL AHEAD TO THE DEPARTMENT OF
PUBLIC SAFETY, AND THE GENERAL WHO'S IN CHARGE OF OUR GUARD
TO TRY TO FIND OUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT IT WAS. AND THE AIR FORCE
TOTALLY BLANKED US. THEY JUST SAID, "WE HAVE NO COMMENT."
THAT WAS IT. >> NO COMMENT. NOT "WE DON'T
KNOW," BUT NO COMMENT. >> "WE HAVE NO COMMENT."
>> THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE THOUGH, ISN'T IT? THAT'S JUST NOT
ACCEPTABLE. YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHAT FLIES AROUND IN YOUR AIR
SPACE, RIGHT? >> AS A GOVERNOR, YOU KNOW
THAT NO COMMENT MEANS A LOT MORE THAN "WE DON'T KNOW, THERE'S
NOTHING THERE." >> WELL, I KNOW AS A GOVERNOR,
THE WORST COMMENT THAT A GOVERNOR COULD MAKE IS
"NO COMMENT" TO THE PRESS. >> NO COMMENT MEANS THERE IS
SOMETHING TO COMMENT ABOUT. SO FOR THE FIRST TIME,
WE FOUND OUT THAT THE AIR FORCE KNEW THERE WAS SOMETHING THERE,
BUT WOULD NOT TALK ABOUT IT. >> IN 2006, GOVERNOR SYMINGTON
AGREES TO BE INTERVIEWED FOR JAMES' DOCUMENTARY<i>
BEYOND THE BLUE,</i> AND DROPS A BOMBSHELL ON CAMERA.
>> YES, A LOT OF PEOPLE SAW IT IN MARICOPA COUNTY,
AND I SAW IT, TOO. >> SYMINGTON, A PILOT
AND RETIRED AIR FORCE OFFICER, ADMITS THAT HE HIMSELF SAW
THE BOOMERANG-SHAPED CRAFT. >> FIFE, CAN YOU DESCRIBE WHAT
EXACTLY YOU SAW ON MARCH 13th, 1997?
>> I DESCRIBE IT AS A DELTA-SHAPED CRAFT, BUT IT WAS
A LARGE, DARK OBJECT. IT WAS ENORMOUS. IT WAS SO BIG,
IT WAS HARD TO REALLY DETERMINE HOW FAST IT WAS GOING, BECAUSE
IT WAS SO LARGE. IT WAS VERY ODD. THE WHOLE THING KIND OF HAD
AN IRIDESCENT QUALITY TO IT. AND IT WAS JUST ASTOUNDING.
I MEAN, MUCH BIGGER THAN ANYTHING I'D EVER SEEN IN
THE AIR. I REALIZED THAT I WAS SEEING SOMETHING THAT WAS TRULY
EXTRAORDINARY. >> FIFE, WHY DID YOU DECIDE
TO COME FORWARD? >> I FIGURED, WELL, ENOUGH TIME
HAS PASSED AND I CAN SEE THAT THERE ARE A BUNCH OF PEOPLE THAT
ARE REALLY ANGRY WITH ME FOR WHAT I DID, SO THIS IS REALLY
AN OPPORTUNITY RIGHT NOW TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT.
I'M NO LONGER GOVERNOR, AND I'M JUST A JOE CITIZEN,
AND I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO BE, I DON'T WANT MY CONSTITUENTS
TO BE UPSET WITH ME FOR SOMETHING THAT REALLY I'M ON
THE SAME PAGE. >> IN YOUR OPINION AS AN AIR
FORCE OFFICER AND AS A PILOT, DO YOU THINK THAT THIS CRAFT
YOU SAW WAS MILITARY? DO YOU THINK THE CRAFT YOU SAW MIGHT
HAVE BEEN EXTRATERRESTRIAL OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES?
>> I'VE USED THE WORD BEFORE TO DESCRIBE WHAT I SAW AS
BEING OTHER-WORLDLY. I JUST DON'T BELIEVE THAT IT
CAME FROM ANYTHING THAT WE KNOW, YOU KNOW, ON EARTH. SO YOU CAN
CALL IT EXTRATERRESTRIAL, OTHER-WORLDLY. IT WAS
AN INCREDIBLE THING TO SEE, AND I'M--I JUST DON'T KNOW
OF ANY EARTHLY EXPLANATION FOR WHAT WE SAW.
>> MY OPINION, WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME KIND OF EXTRATERRESTRIAL
CRAFT THAT PASSED OVER THE CITY. MULTIPLE EYEWITNESSES AGREE ON
THAT, INCLUDING THE GOVERNOR OF ARIZONA HIMSELF WHO SAID THAT
THIS THING WAS FROM ANOTHER WORLD.
>> I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE ACROSS PHOENIX WOULD
BE SO FOOLED. IT REALLY DOES LEAVE ME WONDERING, COULD THIS
HAVE BEEN SOMETHING MORE? >> I THINK IT'S A REAL CRAFT.
I DON'T THINK IT'S AN ILLUSION. I THINK IT'S A CRAFT THAT HAS
AMAZING AERODYNAMIC QUALITIES. I THINK IT'S A SOLID CRAFT,
BUT I THINK IT IS OUR OWN NEUTRAL BUOYANCY TRIANGULAR
SPACECRAFT. >> TESTS HAVE SHOWN THE LIGHTS
CAPTURED ON VIDEO ON MARCH 13, 1997, BEHAVE UNLIKE CONVENTIONAL
FLARES. AND WITNESSES ACROSS THE STATE REMAIN CONVINCED
THAT THEY SAW SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY. WAS THE STATE
OF ARIZONA A TESTING GROUND FOR A NEW AND STILL SECRET
TECHNOLOGY? OR WERE THE WITNESSES ON THE GROUND
TRULY SEEING AN OBJECT FROM BEYOND THIS WORLD?
