Luke AFB response on the March 13, 1997 Phoenix Lights
United States Air Force / The Black Vault / NICAP archive
Official letter dated May 1, 1997: Luke AFB found no responsive records, acknowledged numerous calls, denied involvement by its aircraft, and stated that the base had not identified the lights as aerial flares.
Background
The 56th Communications Squadron response reports a “no records” finding. It states that Luke was not an alert interceptor base, that its F-16s flew normal training missions, and that they were not involved with the lights. At the same time, it acknowledges calls to the command post and public affairs office. Most relevantly, Luke states that it did not identify the cause as aerial flares and did not know where that statement originated. This does not automatically contradict the later identification of the Maryland Air National Guard, but it documents the communication gap at the time.