Fife Symington (Former AZ Governor, Phoenix Lights Witness March 13 1997, 'Massive Delta-Shaped Craft', Kean Book Contributor)

Overview

ASSESSMENT: Fife Symington is the FORMER ARIZONA GOVERNOR who witnessed the Phoenix Lights (March 13, 1997) — a 'massive delta-shaped craft' — and later confessed he saw a UFO while initially mocking the incident. Former Governor of Arizona (two terms). Former Air Force captain. 'I'm a pilot and I know just about every machine that flies.' Second term as governor during Phoenix Lights. MARCH 13, 1997 — PHOENIX LIGHTS: 'Witnessed a massive delta-shaped, craft silently navigate over Squaw Peak.' 'Truly breathtaking. Absolutely stunned.' 'Geometric form with extremely bright lights on leading edge.' 'Bigger than anything I've ever seen.' 'It just felt otherworldly. In your gut, you could just tell it was otherworldly.' 'Definitely a UFO. Never seen anything like this.' 'Remains a great mystery. Other people saw it, responsible people.' Thousands of witnesses. 'V shape' lights. INITIAL MOCKING (1997): 'Held fake news conference — chief of staff in Martian costume.' 'This goes to show you guys are entirely too serious.' Aide Jay Heiler 'dressed in costume with oversized head and eyes.' Now says: 'Was trying to keep everyone calm.' 'Have fun and make spoof, stop public hysteria.' LATER CONFESSION (2007): 'Reversing course, saying lights were really extraterrestrial.' 'Hadn't acknowledged encounter because didn't want people to panic.' 'Brush with something not from America or from this planet.' Nov 12, 2007: Moderated National Press Club event with '14 former high-ranking military and government officials from seven countries.' KEAN BOOK: Wrote firsthand account for Kean's 'UFOs: Generals, Pilots and Government Officials Go On the Record.' One of 'eighteen contributors from nine countries.' 'Five Air Force generals and host of high-level sources.' SKEPTIC RESPONSE: Tucson astronomer James McGaha: 'Clearly aircraft in formation, dropping flares.' 'Symington is not a trained observer and what he feels in his gut doesn't make any difference.' Air Force claimed A-10 flares. CRITICAL: Sitting governor = highest-ranking US official to acknowledge UAP. 'Massive delta-shaped craft' = physical object, not flares. 'Bigger than anything' = trained pilot assessment. 'Otherworldly' = intuitive assessment. Thousands of witnesses = most witnessed mass UAP event. Initial mocking = social control. 10-year delay = pressure on officials. Kean book = disclosure network. National Press Club 2007 = international event. 'Flares' debunking contradicted by governor's account. 'Not trained observer' = false (Air Force captain + pilot).

Entity Type: Assessment — Fife Symington (Former AZ Governor, Phoenix Lights Witness March 13 1997, 'Massive Delta-Shaped Craft', Kean Book Contributor) is an analytical assessment synthesizing multiple data points.

Source Documents

Intelligence derived from 6 source documents:

• cnn.com — Symington: I saw a UFO in the Arizona sky
• abcnews.com — Former Arizona Governor's Close Encounter With UFO
• nbcnews.com — Former Ariz. governor boosts UFO claims
• tucson.com — UFOs flew over Phoenix in '97, Symington says
• lesliekean.com — UFOs: Generals, Pilots, and Government Officials Go On The Record
• penguinrandomhouse.com — UFOs by Leslie Kean