NUFORC Sighting 49453

Occurred: 1997-03-12 20:40 Local
Reported: 2006-03-06 05:44 Pacific
Duration: several minutes
No of observers: 2

Location: Las Vegas, NV, USA

Shape: Chevron
Characteristics: Lights on object

Las Vegas, Nevada -MARCH 12,1997 1.5 MILE WIDE CHEVRON FORMATION OF LIGHTS SILENTLY GLIDES W. TO E. AT 8:40 pm.

Approximately 24 hours before the "Phoenix Lights" sighting(s)in Arizona, my next door neighbor and I were standing on the sidewalk in front of my home located in Northwest Las Vegas, Nevada on March 12,1997 at about 8:40 pm (20:40),when I glanced up(looking WNW) at the Spring Mountain area and saw a huge formation of off white or yellowish lights in a relaxed V or chevron shape gliding (ENE)directly towards and ultimately over our position! I asked my neighbor if she was seeing what I was seeing and she confirmed same. This formation of "lights" was very low (estimate slightly higher than local air traffic), and VERY wide (estimate 1.5 miles wide as I scanned the object) Our major intersections are approximately 1 mile apart, and I am located between Cheyenne and Craig Road off of Alexander, so the apparent width was fairly easy to guesstimate. This formation of a dozen or more lights didn't appear to have substance in between the lights, because as it slowly and silently moved directly over us we could see the night sky (stars) in between the lights of the formation. The sighting lasted probably 4 minutes. I wanted to run in the house to grab my camera, but we were both kind of frozen on the spot watching this event. The formation of lights glided silently overhead towards the location of Nellis Air Force Base approximatey 16 miles ENE of our position. As soon as the object? was out of sight my neighbor, (65 year old female) and I parted. I ran in the house and told my husband. I called Nellis Air Force Base to report what I'd seen, and the Airman on the other end didn't seem very interested and said he was "in the basement, and probably couldn't see much anyway"! He suggested I contact your UFO Reporting Center.

I also called KLAS TV Channel 8, and they were pretty vague, with no other calls at that time. 24 hours later the Phoenix lights stole the show in my neighboring state of Arizona! I heard the hoopla on the Art Bell show March 13th as well. I have tuned into his show since 1984 when he first started on the AM station in Las Vegas. I did call Mr.Davenport about this sighting, and he asked me to write a letter documenting what my neighbor and I had seen. I did so, but did not see it in the archives, when I was recently reading through them. Please know I am not confusing the dates. My "Las Vegas Lights" sighting 24 hours before "Phoenix" is etched forever in my memory, as March 12th is my brothers birthday, he had just left my home about 2 hours previously. Did anyone else in Las Vegas see anything the night of March 12, 1997 at about 8:40 pm??? My background--- in 1997:Prior Nevada Test Site worker, employed by the EPA, prior service-Regular Army 1974. Female, 39 years old. Well sighted and sober!

NUFORC Note:

This witness also submitted a very nice hand-written report, composed on March 20, 1997. We have spoken with her via telephone, and she seems quite credible to us. She will appear on the "Coast to Coast" radio program on March 11, 2006, in order to describe her experience and sighting. PD

Posted 2006-03-11