Occurred: 2012-06-07 22:28 Local
Reported: 2012-06-08 04:08 Pacific
Duration: 5 minutes
No of observers: 1

Location: Phoenix, AZ, USA

Shape: Triangle
Characteristics: Lights on object, Aircraft nearby

Three large orange lights / triangular craft, North-Central Phoenix

The object consisted of three large orange lights, formed in a rather straight line (although the center light seemed to be slightly lower the other two, but only by a hair). Though the lights were not visibly connected by any sort of discernible fuselage, I got the sense that they were each part of one singular craft. The distance between each light was equal. I also got a strong sense that this object was triangular, perhaps equilateral. Moreover, it was quite large; much much larger than any aircraft I’ve seen before. The craft made no discernibly significant shifts in position, neither vertically nor horizontally. It just hovered. Situated over flat terrain, and above a heavily-populated, low-lying residential area, it hung in the night-sky at a relatively low altitude (much lower than planes departing from or approaching Sky Harbor).

I was driving south on I-51 at 10:28pm. As I approached Shea’s exit ramp I saw what I thought was an extremely large (and normal) aircraft off to the west; three large orange lights (what looked to be the lighted ends of each wingtip and nose). I passed the exit and soon lost my view of the object due to topography (a small mountain range just beside the road within northwest section of Phoenix Mountain Preserve, west side of the 51). Beyond this exit, I-51 makes a series of curves through the range. Coming around the last major bend (near Dreamy Draw), I gained sight of the object again. I thought it looked quite peculiar, but I almost wrote it off as nothing special. I continued to look at it as I came around the curve, and finally decided to pull off onto the shoulder to get a better look.

Trees obstructed the view, but I could see two of the tree lights through the branches. I slinked over the center console into the passenger seat, pulled my binoculars out of the glove box, opened the passenger window, and saw that it was definitely no ordinary craft. Since the object looked like it was going to move out of the trees any moment, I waited for about 10 seconds before I grew impatient. I jumped out of the car (with the binoculars) and walked 15 ft up the shoulder (north), giving me a clear view of the object straight west. Three large orange lights hovered over north-central Phoenix.

From where I was standing the object was almost eye-level, but slightly higher. Its distance was too hard to judge, but if I had to guess, I’d say it was roughly 500 yards away. Maybe more. This didn’t seem to be an ordinary craft because: 1) the lights on the craft were orange; 2) given its distance from me, the lights on the craft were very very large (about the size of a racquet ball held away at arm’s length); 3) the punctuated distance of one light from another signified a wingspan significantly larger than any craft I’ve ever seen before; and 4) It hovered (demonstrating no positional shifts). I heard nothing but the traffic of I-51, thus if any sound was associated with the object, it was not heard.

I watched it for about 4 minutes. At one point the object seemed to be coming closer as the lights grew slightly larger. Then the object seemed to slowly retreat, as the lights got smaller and more defined (i.e. the edge of each light became much sharper, less hazy). At this point I decided to try to exit the freeway and head west along Glendale to get a better look. Being on a really unsafe section of the road, parked on a narrow shoulder, I decided I best be moving along anyway.

As soon as I left the shoulder of I-51 I lost sight of the object. When I exited at Glendale, the object remained unseen as I drove west to central (about 3.5 miles) and decided to turn around and continue down the 51. Either visibility hindered my ability to see the object, or the object was no longer present.

Given the size, location, and duration of time the object was visible, I’d have a hard time believing I was the only one who saw this.

I snapped a photo, but it is extremely blurry.

Posted 2012-06-08

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