A U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jet was forced to make an emergency landing after being struck by an unidentified flying object (UFO) over Arizona. The incident is part of a growing series of UFO-related events in the region, raising concerns about aviation safety and national security.
On January 19, 2023, an unidentified flying object (UFO) collided with a U.S. Air Force F-16 Viper fighter jet while it was flying over Arizona airspace, cracking the cockpit canopy and forcing the $63 million aircraft to make an emergency landing. This information was revealed in the latest report from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
According to the FAA, the object that caused the collision was described as an “orange-white UAS”—an abbreviation for Unmanned Aircraft System. The collision occurred while the F-16 was operating in restricted airspace near Gila Bend, Arizona. Although the Air Force did not release detailed damage figures, the aircraft was grounded for repairs. Fortunately, no casualties were reported in the incident.
Within a single day of the collision, three more unidentified flying objects were spotted in the skies over the Barry Goldwater Range – a vast desert region bordering Arizona and Mexico, used for air-to-air and air-to-ground combat training.
In 2023, an F-16 Viper (pictured) was struck by an unidentified flying object that federal officials believe was some kind of drone.
A report from the U.S. Department of Defense’s All-Area Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) indicates that this was just one of 22 incidents involving Air Force fighter pilots seeing or colliding with unidentified flying objects between October 2022 and June 2023. Notably, the majority of these events occurred within 100 miles of Luke Air Force Base – from which many F-16s take off from Barry Goldwater Air Force Base.
Although the FAA maintains there is no evidence that the impact object was of extraterrestrial origin, Arizona is becoming a hotspot for unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs) in the United States. Between 2016 and 2020, military pilots reported eight sightings of drone-like unidentified flying objects in the state’s skies. In some cases, witnesses reported observing eight mysterious flying objects appearing simultaneously over Air Force training bases along the U.S.-Mexico border.
The new information from the FAA comes as the federal government has just recorded 757 reports of Unexplained Apnea (UAP) globally between May 1, 2023, and June 1, 2024. Of these, at least 410 occurred in the United States, and only 49 have had their causes clearly identified. Unresolved cases will continue to be investigated by AARO.
According to procedure, when a UFO incident occurs, the pilot will file a report, the FAA will use radar and other data to analyze it, and then forward the report to AARO for further investigation. However, because many incidents occur in restricted military airspace, AARO does not disclose the specific locations of the incidents.
Despite the silence from officials, many UFO whistleblowers are revealing strange events occurring in Arizona. One of them is Luis Elizondo, a former intelligence officer who investigated paranormal phenomena while working at the Pentagon. He stated, “Many people have reported a series of incidents occurring in Arizona, particularly in the border region.”
Bob Thompson – a former U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer with 14 years of experience – recently released previously unreleased videos of UFO sightings in the skies over Arizona. Speaking to NewsNation, Thompson said: “I’ve seen bright spheres from afar, cigar-shaped objects, triangular objects. I’ve also heard colleagues say they’ve seen mysterious ‘gateways’ opening in the sky, and we have camera footage of that.”
Thompson further revealed that over 100 CBP officers had shared with him reports of seeing strange flying objects along the U.S. border. While many incidents remain under investigation, some government officials suggest these unidentified drones are not extraterrestrial but rather originate from drug cartels in Mexico.
Ali Bradley, NewsNation’s border correspondent, noted that these gangs are using advanced drones to conduct reconnaissance and monitor border patrol forces. Unlike the Chinese drones previously detected by the U.S. government, these new UAVs are larger, harder to detect, and capable of transporting large quantities of drugs across the border.
Tom Homan, a former border official under President Trump, warned that many of these UAVs are being used to monitor U.S. military bases in Arizona, giving gangs a head start in human trafficking and illegal drug dealing.
In the 49 UAP investigations resolved by AARO, the majority of UFOs were identified as aircraft, balloons, birds, drones, or satellites mistaken for extraterrestrial spacecraft. Additionally, AARO recommended closing 243 other cases for similar reasons.