# @downinnadesert on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DeQTPk7Gj_b
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/71448697-downinnadesert-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/4842c1819b.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-10-09T01:12:31.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Down In The Desert🌵 (@downinnadesert) — https://gondola.cc/downinnadesert

## Caption

Arizona has been named a top spot for UFO sightings, and it shows up in the government’s newly released UFO files.

The National UFO Reporting Center lists close to 5,000 reported sightings in Arizona, enough for a top-10 ranking among states, though the exact rank changes depending on the study and the year. Phoenix leads the state with more than 800 reports since 1995. Per person, Arizona doesn’t crack the top 10. Arizona MUFON’s Shane Hurd has said the state’s clear skies and the number of people spending time outdoors give more people the chance to see something.

The state also appears dozens of times across the FBI’s UFO files released this year through the government’s PURSUE initiative. One report dates to June 30, 1947, when Navy student pilot Lt. William G. McGinty, flying out of Williams Field in Chandler, told investigators he saw two round objects diving “at inconceivable speeds” near the Grand Canyon. The files also include late 1950s records tied to the so-called Bender Affair, which the FBI said it had no evidence of.

Then there is the Phoenix Lights. On March 13, 1997, thousands of people from Nevada to Tucson reported lights over the state. The Air Force attributed one set to flares dropped by A-10 jets over the Goldwater range, and a retired Air Force pilot traced another to A-10s flying in formation. Many witnesses dispute those explanations.

A reminder that these are reports, not confirmed events. The Pentagon said in 2024 that most reported sightings can be traced to balloons, drones and other ordinary objects, though some remain unexplained. Have you ever seen something in the Arizona sky you couldn’t explain?

#Arizona #UFO #PhoenixLights #Sedona #ArizonaHistory

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## Tags

phoenixlights, arizonahistory, sedona, arizona, ufo

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