Formation over Gila Bend, AZ
A witness account on file, unevaluated. Most of the archive rests here, and honestly so.
The report, as filed
It started with 4 square lights line up and it condensed into 1 light, then the light disappeared. This sequence continued for about 1
Held as-reported from National UFO Reporting Center. Witness text is preserved verbatim, including its spelling; nothing is edited beyond formatting.
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Routed to: Federal Aviation Administration · records window 2009-10-05 → 2009-10-22
From the same sky
Related entries
February 15, 2022 · 11:20 PM · FIREBALL
Gila Bend, AZ
While flying in a general aviation plane at approximately 7,500 ft, heading north east from Yuma to Gila Bend (along V66) a bright fireball/ orb appeared. The light was estimated to be a mile or two away and approximately at the same altitude. The object appeared to be ascending and descending, at random intervals of several hundred feet. The object appeared unaffected by the strong winds occurring that particular night. The object stayed the same relative distance and it was hard to determine if it was moving or stationary (horizontally). After about 10 minutes the object faded out like a candle being extinguished quickly. ATC was notified by us for a possible converging traffic target and reported they had no other aircraft in the vicinity of 25 miles. Safety of flight was not impacted. Notice the pictures were taken in total darkness (almost midnight). But the object was bright enough to give the camera light to see the desert and surrounding area. The moon was also out, which aided.
May 30, 2017 · 9:15 PM · OTHER
Gila Bend, AZ
some time between 9 and 9:40 pm on may 30th on the interstate 8 coming home from California.. I was watching the sky for falling stars and first spotted and watched a sattelite cruising by. Then a flashing light caught my eye, as i watched it i saw others sort of following it, but if so they were in an exact formation of distance from one another. There were 4 at first.. And as i moved further east and away from lights they appeared to have a curvature. As those lights moved north/northwest 2 more flashing lights appeared below and after the first 4 however overlapping below the 4. i watched until lights were too far behind me to see any longer due to headlights in my vision behind us.. The lights were white in color and much larger then stars in the sky they flashed at a set pace and individually. I assume it was some sort of air force manuever, as i have not heard of anyone else seeing these lights at this time. We have changed the time above. PD
August 23, 2016 · 7:00 PM · LIGHT
Gila Bend, AZ
I'm a truck driver. When traveling South on the Phoenix Bypass (85), I saw in front and above me two lights that at first made me think of the copper vapor lights seen at prisons such as the one I was approaching. I thought they were on really tall poles though and maybe they were just too high for that. One was lower and to the left of the other. The distance apart I estimated to be 50 to 100 feet. They moved steadily with me and disappeared. Ten to fifteen minutes later at a steady 68mph, I saw them again to the East of me. They were descending slowly and just off center and to the right of the lower light I could see smoke trailing. It again disappeared on me but I thought maybe due to a hill or other obstruction as it was at least a mile away. It was moonless and very dark in the desert so I figured to see all kinds of activity where it went down. I never did see anything out in that vast darkness.
November 7, 2015 · 7:45 PM · FLASH
Gila Bend, AZ
BRIGHT LIGHT FLASHED IN THE SKY JUST NORTH OF GILA BEND AND EAST OF 85 NORTH GLOWING GREENISH LIGHT ILLUMINATING IN THE CENTER OF TWO CIRCULAR OUTER RINGS THE SKY WAS DARK SO THE LIGHT WAS VERY NOTICEABLE THERE WERE OTHER VEHICLES STOPPED ALONG THE ROAD TO WITNESS THE ODD EVENT. Probably a sighting of the missile launch from the USS Kentucky submarine, located west of California. Launch occurred at approximately 17:55 hrs. (PST) on Saturday, November 11, 2015. PD
October 31, 2014 · 8:45 PM · FIREBALL
Gila Bend, AZ
((ADDENDUM FROM WITNESS)) when I first spotted the very bright light, I thought it was a helicopter with front lights and tail lights. It seemed that low. I live near an emergence clinic and see quite a few helicopters with all kind of lights. But this was not one of them. However there was sound and the light just seemed to turn off. I viewed the light for not 1/2 second but for approximately 3 or 4 seconds. I can't tell you in degrees how much the light traveled but looking into the sky and using my thumb and pointer finger I would guess about 5 or 6 inches. I think what I saw was a meteorite. I have seen 2 in my time and they both had a long tail. If what I saw last night was a meteorite it did not have a long tail. Again using my fingers as a guide I would say the light was about 3 inches long. I don't know if this is any help to you but I was amazed by it. ((END ADDENDUM))
June 23, 2014 · 9:45 PM · UNKNOWN
Gila Bend, AZ
All objects were orange bright lights. We were driving eastbound on I-8 around Gila Bend, AZ when we noticed a single orange light to the south. It appeared to be about 5-10 miles away and approx. 2-3000 feet up. At times we could see the background of the mountains silhouetting from the orange glow of the light and it also appeared to have a smoke trail coming from the light. The single light stayed up for a few minutes, then disappeared. within seconds, it reappeared, then a second orange light appeared at the same altitude. It also appeared to have a light smoke trail coming from it. Then about 5 tracer lights shot from the second light and disappeared. Then within a few seconds another round of tracer lights appeared but came the sky towards the light. Then the two lights faded and a single light appeared and then second light and then a third light. Within a few minutes they all disappeared. My nephew said he could make out a shadowy figure aroun! d the orange lights, but I was driving and wasn't able to stare at it long enough to make it out. Observers were Me and my wife ages 53, my wife's sister and her son, ages 43 and 15. All of sound mind and body. Witness elects to remain totally anonymous; provides no contact information. PD