Silent Lights Over the Black Canyon

Traffic along the I 17 corridor is rarely quiet at dusk, but several drivers reported a strange calm settling over the stretch of highway north of Black Canyon City on November 24. At 6:42 p.m., the first witness noticed three bright white lights arranged in a perfect triangular formation drifting above the northbound lanes. The lights produced no sound and showed no blinking indicators that would suggest aircraft. They appeared to match the speed of traffic, remaining visible for nearly thirty seconds before rising slightly and slowing to a hover.

Two separate motorists captured short videos that circulated online within the hour. Both clips show the same formation, steady and evenly spaced, moving as a single unit. In one recording, the lights drift ahead of vehicles and then fade one by one until only darkness remains. There were no weather anomalies, no dust interference, and no aircraft officially reported in the area at the time.

ADOT traffic cameras aimed at mile marker 246 recorded a faint glow that matches the approximate time of the sightings. The glow appears stationary but could not resolve any structure behind the lights. A spokesperson for ADOT noted that there was no technical malfunction in the feed and no reflections from passing vehicles capable of matching the pattern seen in witness videos.

Several drivers described the lights as moving with a sense of intention. One witness noted that the formation did not drift randomly like lanterns or balloons, but instead paced vehicles in a straight line. That behavior, consistent in multiple accounts, suggests a controlled motion pattern. No official explanation has been offered by authorities.