Luke AFB and Maryland ANG A-10 sortie, flare-drop and unit-history records for the Barry M. Goldwater Range, March 1997
In the agency's queue, with position and estimated date where the agency gives them.
Part of a multi-agency investigation
dfdade11-85e1-464d-9153-39f292fca876The shared question produced 4 tailored filings. Each has its own route, statutory clock, correspondence and outcome.
Statutory clock
33 of 20 business days left
Filed Sep 9, 2026
20 business days allowed · 5 U.S.C. § 552
20 business days from perfection to determination; 10-day extension for unusual circumstances. Expedited processing determination within 10 calendar days.
The records sought
Records of the Department of the Air Force and, through it, the Air National Guard units involved, for 1 March through 30 June 1997: (a) flying schedules, sortie/mission records, aircrew flight logs and range-use or range-scheduling records for training missions flown on the Barry M. Goldwater Range on the evening of 13 March 1997, including any night flare-delivery training; (b) munitions or expendables expenditure records showing the type, number and time of illumination flares (e.g. LUU-2 or equivalent) released that evening, and the altitude and coordinates of release; (c) records of the Maryland Air National Guard 104th Fighter Squadron / 175th Wing A-10 detachment deployed to Arizona in March 1997, including deployment orders and the detachment's operations records; (d) the 56th Fighter Wing (Luke AFB) annual or periodic unit history covering the first half of calendar year 1997, and the wing and Air National Guard public-affairs files, press releases, media queries and internal talking points concerning the 13 March 1997 Arizona light sightings; (e) any base or wing incident report, command post log entry, or inquiry into the sightings, and any correspondence with the FAA, the National Guard Bureau or members of Congress about them.
Date range: 1997-03-01 – 1997-06-30
Why it was asked
The Air Force authored the official explanation, so its sortie, range-scheduling and munitions-expenditure records are the only documents that can test that explanation against the times and locations witnesses reported. Wing histories and public-affairs files are also the record type most likely to have survived, being permanent or long-retention series rather than short-cycle operational media.
Timeline
Commission submitted for route and filing review
Drafting
Letter cleared review
Drafting
Commission payment settled
Money
Letter drafted
Drafting
Letter finalised
Drafting
Submission queued
Dispatch
Submitted through the agency portal
Dispatch
Email response received
Correspondence
Email response received
Correspondence
Email response received
Correspondence
Email response received
Correspondence
Response attached to this request
Correspondence
Response attached to this request
Correspondence
Response attached to this request
Correspondence
Response attached to this request
Correspondence
Delivered to the agency's mail server
Correspondence
Public milestones summarize progress and outcomes. Contact details, message content and operational evidence remain private to the requester and authorized staff.
Correspondence
- SentportalSep 9, 2026
Request correspondence sent
Aletheca → Agency
Contact information, message content and delivery evidence are private.
- ReceivedemailSep 9, 2026
Response correspondence received
Agency → Aletheca
Contact information, message content and delivery evidence are private.
- ReceivedemailSep 9, 2026
Response correspondence received
Agency → Aletheca
Contact information, message content and delivery evidence are private.
- ReceivedemailSep 9, 2026
Response correspondence received
Agency → Aletheca
Contact information, message content and delivery evidence are private.
- ReceivedemailSep 9, 2026
Response correspondence received
Agency → Aletheca
Contact information, message content and delivery evidence are private.
- SentemailSep 9, 2026
Request correspondence sent
Aletheca → Agency
Contact information, message content and delivery evidence are private.