Close Encounters- Arizona Objects | A Review

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By Mike Fortson The UFO Chronicles © 3-9-14

     On Friday night March 7, 2014, with great anticipation, my wife and I watched a new program, entitled, Close Encounters, yet another series (amongst many gracing the airwaves lately) delving into the UFO subject matter. The show is produced by a relatively new company out of Canada, called Newroad Media; they herald the production as “each episode . . . reveals the most intriguing and convincing UFO stories on the planet.” The show premiered in Canada a few months ago on Discovery Canada and here in the U.S. via the Science Channel on the 4th (March 2014).

Larry Lowe

Although intrigued by the UFO topic in general, as regular readers know, being eyewitnesses to what has (erroneously) become known as “The Phoenix Lights,” we were most eager to take in the segment, Arizona Objects dedicated to those events in this second episode. Being aware that my good friend Larry Lowe had traveled to Canada to meet with the producers and consult on and in part, narrate said segment, only augmented our enthusiasm.

As an 8:30 pm witness to what is more accurately described as the, “Massive UFO Flyover of Arizona, March 13, 1997”; I try to watch all programs related to the so-called Phoenix Lights case. My remarks that follow are in no way critical of the presentation by Larry Lowe; my criticism is directed to the producers and Newroad Media generally, for poor research, lack of due diligence and failing to re-enact events according to known facts.

Conversely, I was very pleased that the Phoenix Lights label and 10 pm videos of a known, intentional, diversionary flare drop were not even seen or mentioned until the very end of the segment. This is the main reason I quit doing video interviews; Arizona Objects is more descriptive and more accurate. The massive craft(s) seen that night in the 8 o’clock hour is what the vast majority of witnesses experienced. Beyond that—the show had very little that was historically, correct or accurate.

—Let’s start with the Tim Ley account:

Tim Ley

They had Tim and his son driving in their car looking for the Hale-Bopp comet. This is incorrect. The Ley family was at home watching the Hale-Bopp comet and was redirected when the appearance of a semi-circle of lights appeared north of them. Their initial sighting was approximately 8:25 pm.

Also, in their reenactment, they depicted the craft, rotating and giving off a noise like a huge natural gas leak. Never at any time was noise associated with the mass sighting. The program showed that there was this huge array of lights—19 lights on the first sighting! The most ever reported that night was 7. In the next segment with the Ley’s, there were 28 and later 33 lights in V formation!

This is a blatant, misleading, egregious error!

Erroneous Depiction of Craft

—The next witnesses, retired airline captain Trig Johnston and his family.

Trig Johnston

The program inferred that this is the same craft at the same time as the Ley family. Another glaring error! Captain Trig Johnston’s sighting was at 10:20 pm from his horse property in the north Scottsdale/Cave Creek area. It was almost 2 full hours after the Ley sighting—not at the same time. Moreover, they once again made the massive V shaped craft with 33 white lights! Ugh!

Next the program told the viewing audience that during the Ley sighting, the craft descended to incredible low levels. The craft according to the Ley family was always incredibly low to the ground.

The show claimed that Capt. Johnston received a telepathic message from the craft, i.e., “Don’t worry, this is just a demonstration.” Wrong! Capt. Johnston did report receiving a telepathic message, but the message was, “We are not a threat.”

Why didn’t the writers or production crew read the actual reports submitted by the witnesses? Take some time, do your homework.

One statement they did get right. Captain Trig Johnston did say “I could have landed my 737 on the wing of the craft!”

—Now for the Phoenix City Council and former Arizona governor Fife Symington:

They got this all wrong as well.

Frances Emma Barwood

The show told the viewing audience that the Phoenix City Council requested an investigation. Again, this is incorrect. It was former Phoenix City Councilwoman Frances Emma Barwood that asked, “Why doesn’t the city investigate the massive craft that passed over our city’s airspace, and Sky Harbor Airport?” She was quickly told the city does not investigate these things and that was it.

Councilwoman Barwood was then lambasted in the media after this and lost her next election. On a positive note, her office was flooded with callers that witnessed the massive object and applauded her bravery and due diligence for coming forward during the council meeting.

Fife Symington

The show then pronounced that several days later (then) Governor Fife Symington held a press conference. This is incorrect. It was the aftermath of the USA Today article, published on June 18, 1997, which precipitated the governor’s press conference, held the next day (90 plus days after the event) and only because of national exposure of the article.

Then the program suggested that at a (near) later date former Governor Symington, himself reported seeing the “other worldly object.” The fact of the matter is–it would be 10 years later that he would make this claim, doing so on James Fox’s documentary, “I Know What I Saw.”

Over the 17 years since the mass sighting, I have met hundreds of witnesses; written several articles, have done dozens of video interviews, over a hundred radio shows and participated in 7 documentaries. I have remained focused on the investigation and know all the main investigators personally. I feel qualified to judge for accuracy when programs go on air concerning the (so-called) Phoenix Lights case or as I prefer, “The Massive UFO Flyover of Arizona, March 13, 1997” which is a far more accurate title.

To the new Canadian production company: next time allow more that 11 or 12 minutes to report on such a extensive case. Please do your homework. A quick search on the internet and reading a few reports is simply not enough.

I am still waiting for someone to have the courage and take the time to report this incredible mass sighting correctly, so all will know the truth.

See Also:

Discovery Canada's "Close Encounters": The Worst UFO 'Documentary' Series Yet?

Discovery Canada's "Close Encounters": The Worst UFO 'Documentary' Series Yet? (Pt 2)

I Know What I Saw
The Movie - A Review

Phoenix Lights Witness Mike Fortson Condemns Nat Geo's Chasing UFOs

Shostak’s 'Phoenix Lights' Faux Pas

Phoenix Lights:
The Massive UFO Flyover of Arizona-March 13, 1997
12th Years of Retrospect

The Non-Investigation of the Phoenix Lights - My View (Redux) | 16th ANNIVERSARY

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