Documents reveal decades of UFO investigations in Arizona: without definitive proof, but with mysteries By Beatriz
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The release of official documents in 2026 exposed decades of investigations by the United States government into unidentified flying objects (UFOs). The state of Arizona appears constantly in these files, which cover the period between the 1940s and 1960s.
The massive release of these documents in 2026 generated great repercussion, marking the first time that such a significant volume of interinstitutional files was made public. Material includes FBI records, military reports, NASA transcripts, photographs, witness statements, intelligence memos, and investigation summaries, covering incidents from the 1940s to more recent events.
Many expected “irrefutable proof” of the existence of extraterrestrial life, but the reality proved to be more complex and intriguing. The content revealed decades of fragmented investigations, interviews with witnesses, images, missing pages, censored excerpts and conflicting conclusions, as well as clear indications that federal agencies took these sightings seriously, despite publicly downplaying their importance. This disparity between internal seriousness and public devaluation contributes to the “strange” and enduring nature of the mystery.
In multiple records, the FBI itself expresses uncertainty in the face of contradictory information or incomplete data, which fuels the perception that crucial parts of the narratives were withheld or intentionally hidden.
The core collection of these documents was made available through the FBI Vault and other declassification portals, all connected to the 2026 PURSUE declassification initiative.
Arizona UFO sightings detailed in new documents
When browsing the official archive of UFO records, material pertaining to Arizona stands out considerably.
Although the Phoenix Lights are widely known, an analysis of newly revealed FBI pages shows that Arizona was already a focus of federal UFO investigations decades before 1997. Cities such as Phoenix, Chandler, Flagstaff, Tucson, Winslow, Mesa, Seligman and Nogales appear repeatedly in the documents from the late 1940s through the 1960s.
In ten separate sections of the FBI files, Arizona was mentioned dozens of times throughout hundreds of pages of UFO investigations, witness accounts and interviews. However, two incidents consistently stood out: the enigmatic 1947 Grand Canyon sightings and the late 1950s records related to the notorious “Bender Case.”
The case of the unidentified flying object in the Grand Canyon
One of Arizona’s most intriguing cases, recurring in FBI files, focuses on an incident that occurred on Tuesday, June 30, 1947.
At approximately 9:10 a.m. (Mountain Standard Time), Lieutenant William G. McGinty, a P-80 student pilot from Chandler, reported sighting two light gray circular objects, about eight feet in diameter. He described the objects descending vertically at “inconceivable speeds” over the Grand Canyon as he headed south toward Williams Field Air Force Base in metropolitan Phoenix.
McGinty stated that the objects appeared to be heading directly toward an area approximately 25 miles south of the South Rim. He described instinctively turning his aircraft away from them, continuing the flight toward Williams Field Air Force Base. The pilot observed that one object followed the other within a few seconds of each other.
What makes the incident notable is its repeated appearance in three distinct sections of the FBI, including interview summaries, agent review notes, and serial reports. This suggests that federal investigators considered the sighting important enough to document and circulate it internally.
Days later, on July 8, 1947, FBI agents referenced additional reports of unidentified objects moving at high speeds. An agent obtained photographs of these aerial objects from the editor-in-chief of The Arizona Republic newspaper.
The photographs were taken by William Rhodes at sunset on July 7, 1947, after the objects had flown at “inconceivable speeds” and made three circles near Rhodes’ Phoenix residence. Using a Model 620 box camera, Rhodes captured one image as the object passed in front of him and another as it rotated toward him. The object’s altitude was estimated to be approximately 300 meters.
The FBI files on the enigmatic Bender case
The 1958 “Bender Case” files in the FBI’s collection deal with allegations that UFO researcher Albert K. Bender was silenced after discovering dangerous information about flying saucers and what some authors described as a “hidden underground threat.”
The case came to light in Arizona when Scottsdale resident Claude H. Marck Jr. sent a letter to the FBI questioning whether the agency was involved in suppressing Bender or withholding data related to UFO investigations.
According to FBI documents, the Bureau responded that its files contained no evidence of a “Bender case” or any smothering operation. The only verified records about Bender were considered common: a 1952 letter on International Flying Saucer Bureau letterhead explaining how to organize a local chapter of the organization in Franklin, Indiana, and a copy of the January 1953 “Space Review” magazine with articles on flying saucer sightings. FBI officials noted that the publication had “no security significance.”
Despite this finding, agents were instructed to interview Marck, as he alleged covert FBI involvement in Bender’s silencing.
Marck’s original claims echoed some of the best-known legends of UFO culture. He narrated that Bender founded the International Flying Saucer Bureau in Bridgeport, Connecticut, in 1952 to investigate flying saucers, but abruptly ceased his activities after allegedly discovering the “truth” about the objects. According to Marck, Bender had been visited by “three men in black suits” who intimidated him into silence. Marck further claimed to have become aware of a “terrible underground threat plaguing the world” and believed that important secrets were being hidden.
The FBI’s own memo indicated that agents suspected Marck “may be suffering from delusions.” However, they considered the matter relevant enough for an investigation, as it specifically alleged federal involvement in the incident.
In December 1958, when Phoenix agents George Hollingsworth and William Drew interviewed Marck, he described himself as an enthusiast of flying saucers and maritime disappearances. He linked these nautical mysteries to the same supposed “subterranean threat” present in UFO literature, although the FBI noted that he was unable to provide details or concrete evidence.
Further FBI correspondence regarding the 1958 “Bender Case” becomes even more peculiar. The agents’ reports gradually shift from investigating UFO claims to discreetly assessing Marck’s mental state and personal life.
The tone of the final report is notably dismissive. Agents recorded that, based on his mother’s scolding and his fascination with literature about flying saucers and maritime mysteries, Marck appeared to live in a “chronic dream” involving UFOs and unexplained nautical narratives. The document concluded that the agents’ contact with him merely acknowledged receipt of his letter and that no further investigation was warranted.
However, the story did not completely disappear from the FBI’s attention.
On January 22, 1959, the Bureau instructed the Phoenix department to reestablish contact with Marck regarding the Albert Bender story. However, it was discovered that he had already moved to Denver and could not be located.
This detail gives the Arizona files an almost inconclusive quality, as if the Office had quietly closed the matter.
