former arizona governor admits he saw ufo

March 2007

Former Arizona Gov. Fife Symington, who once paraded his chief of staff out to the press dressed as an alien in wake of the famous “Phoenix Lights” UFO incident, has admitted he now believes that indeed he had seen a UFO back then.  Ten years ago, he was adamant that the media was simply taking the story too seriously, even though thousands of people saw the unexplained phenomena including Symington himself.  Now, he has come clean and said he deliberately wanted to make light of the matter to dispel hysteria. All along, however, he believed the Phoenix Lights were caused by real UFOs.  Below are a summary of facts from the story on Yahoo. 

Governor comes clean 

• Symington said he didn't acknowledge his own encounter at first because he didn't want people to panic.  

• Symington discussed the sighting with a UFO investigator making a documentary and in media interviews this week. 

• "I'm a pilot and I know just about every machine that flies," Symington, a former Air Force captain, said. "It was bigger than anything that I've ever seen. It remains a great mystery.  

• Symington argues that “other people saw it (UFOs over Phoenix), responsible people. I don't know why people would ridicule it." 

• Symington told CNN, "It just felt otherworldly. In your gut, you could just tell it was otherworldly." 

• Symington initially told no one but his wife that he had seen the lights. 

• During a news conference that June, Symington, in his second term as governor, told reporters that an alien had been captured. He then ushered out his chief of staff, Jay Heiler, dressed in a costume complete with oversized head and eyes. 

• Jay Heiler, his former Chief of Staff, says Symington believes in UFOs. He described his former boss as a "Trekkie" who believes earthlings will travel to distant solar systems at above the speed of light "in our lifetimes."

• The Phoenix lights, which appeared in a V shape as they moved across the sky, were widely explained as flares dumped by a military training flight.  Many doubted the government was telling all it knew. 

• Tucson astronomer and retired Air Force pilot James McGaha investigated two sightings over Phoenix that March night.  He claims the Phoenix Lights can be traced both to A-10 aircraft flying in formation at high altitude. 

• "It was clearly aircraft in formation, flying at two different times and then dropping flares and it's clear to any rational person that's what it was," McGaha said. 

• McGaha said Symington "is not a trained observer and what he feels in his gut doesn't make any difference.  

Get the full Scoop

Video Interview of Governor Symington

Our Take 

Symington’s personal acknowledgement is welcome.  Perhaps he is following suit on the heels of the French releasing all their “X-Files” to the public.  One thing is becoming increasing clear – more and higher level people of authority are coming forward about the unexplained.  Now we have to ask – why did Symington cover up this true acknowledgment ten years ago? Is it a disservice to the public or for the public’s protection? These questions we are still asking today but the truth later is always better than never. 

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