The Stephenville Lights (2008)

Steve Allen, a Texas businessman, was a key witness to one of the largest mass UFO sightings in American history, known as the Stephenville Lights. This event is featured in the premiere episode of Netflix’s docu-series “Encounters,” produced by Steven Spielberg’s Amblin TV. In 2008, while near his home in Stephenville, Texas, Allen observed bright, high-intensity lights in the sky moving at high speed, which he described as blinding and silent. This encounter evoked a peaceful, almost religious feeling in him.

Allen saw two F-16 fighters pursuing the UFO, which he described as larger than a Walmart. It made a display of lights over Stephenville before returning, being closer on its second pass. Despite his then-wife’s advice to keep quiet to avoid being labeled as crazy, Allen reported the incident, leading to widespread reporting from about 300 locals who saw a large, delta-shaped UFO.

The Air Force Reserve initially denied the presence of fighter jets that night but later admitted to having nearly a dozen F-16s in the area. Freedom of Information Act requests revealed evidence of a UFO, with radar data showing an object traveling at 1,900 to 2,100 mph without a transponder, suggesting an extraterrestrial origin.

Eyewitnesses, including police officers, pilots, and residents, reported a large, triangular object with a metallic appearance and bright lights, causing panic and alarm. The object was estimated to be several miles in length.

The Stephenville Lights incident, extensively investigated by ufologists and UFO researchers, remains unexplained, continuing to intrigue and be a topic of debate in the UFO community. Allen believes the object was not of this world, given its speed and maneuverability, and hopes for governmental disclosure about such events. The full story of Allen’s experience and others can be seen in the “Encounters” series on Netflix. The Stephenville Lights remains a testament to the enduring human curiosity about the mysteries of the universe.