Fife Symington III
Before the sighting
Born August 12, 1945 in New York to a wealthy Frick-descended family. Harvard graduate (1968), served as USAF officer during the Vietnam era. Built a real estate development career in Arizona in the 1970s-80s before entering politics. Elected Republican Governor of Arizona in 1991, re-elected 1994. By March 1997 he was a sitting two-term governor under federal indictment (the bank fraud trial began in May 1997, two months after the Phoenix Lights event). His political and personal situation was precarious, which is relevant context for his decision to publicly mock the sighting at the time.
During the sighting
On the evening of March 13, 1997, Symington personally observed the v-formation lights from his Phoenix-area residence. By his own later account, he stepped outside after hearing reports, drove a short distance to get a clearer view, and watched a large, silent, delta/v-shaped craft pass overhead. He has described the object as 'enormous,' 'otherworldly,' and clearly not conventional aircraft. He did not disclose his personal sighting publicly at the time and did not authorize an official state investigation despite witness pressure (notably from Phoenix City Councilwoman Frances Barwood).
After the sighting
In June 1997, with public anxiety mounting and Councilwoman Barwood demanding investigation, Symington held a press conference at which his chief of staff Jay Heiler appeared in an alien costume escorted by troopers as a staged comedic 'reveal.' Symington later said the stunt was meant to defuse public panic, not to deny that something had occurred. In September 1997 he was convicted of seven counts of bank fraud and resigned the governorship; the conviction was overturned by the 9th Circuit in 2000 on a juror-dismissal issue, and President Clinton pardoned him on remaining matters in January 2001. He completed Le Cordon Bleu and became a working pastry chef. In March 2007, on the 10-year anniversary, Symington publicly disclosed his personal sighting via a CNN interview with Larry King and an op-ed; he then served on a 2007 Larry King panel and wrote the foreword to Leslie Kean's 2010 book 'UFOs: Generals, Pilots, and Government Officials Go on the Record.' He has been a consistent moderate advocate for serious government UAP investigation since 2007.
Research notes
Symington's case is mitigated by several factors: (1) the 8:30 PM v-formation event is independently witnessed by thousands across Arizona and is the least-disputed portion of the Phoenix Lights — separate from the 10 PM stationary lights that USAF Maryland ANG A-10s admitted (years later) were LUU-2B/B illumination flares dropped on the Barry Goldwater Range; (2) Symington had no commercial product to sell at the time of disclosure (he was a working chef, not an author); (3) his 2007 account is consistent with the v-formation reports of Tim Ley, Mike Stahl, and others. The 10-year delay and the 1997 mockery are real credibility hits, but they cut against fabrication motive — a fabricator would not have publicly mocked himself. Net score 7.0 reflects credentialed observer + independently corroborated event + delayed/contradictory disclosure history.
Linked events (1)
- Phoenix Lights AZ 19971997-03-13