1994 Michigan UFO event

On March 8, 1994, multiple individuals reported a sighting of multiple UFOs in West Michigan, United States.^[1] The UFOs were described as resembling flickering Christmas lights, consisting of five or six objects, cylindrically shaped or circles with blue, red, white and green lights.

On March 11, press covered comments from the chief of the local National Weather Service office, who acknowledged radar data suggesting a "fast moving phenomenon" over Lake Michigan on March 8; He reported the sighting to the National UFO Reporting Center.^[2] He relayed eyewitness reports that featured "red and green sets of lights" which performed "some rather erratic movements at times".^[3] The sightings were reported to 9-1-1 and were observed by police and a National Weather Service radar at Muskegon County Airport.^[4][5]

Reports of sightings of March 8 were followed by a subsequent "UFO flap". According to Chicago Tribune, in the aftermath, UFO sightings were reported by over 300 witnesses in 42 counties of Michigan^[6] (including Muskegon, Ottawa, Berrien and Allegan counties).^[7]

On March 20, experts from the National Weather Service dismissed the radar blips, noting their radar is designed to sense weather not aircraft.^[8] Press speculated that the sightings could have been caused by a top-secret US aircraft, though aviation experts expressed skepticism.^[9] Press similarly covered a psychologist who opined the sightings were caused by social contagion, likening them to apparitions of Mary the mother of Jesus in stains on a water tower.^[9] The Detroit Free Press reported that residents of the very-religious Holland, Michigan were interpreting the sightings as a biblical sign.^[10]

By March 20, the Mutual UFO Network spokesperson told press they had received over 100 UFO reports in lower Michigan since the initial sightings on March 8.^[11] The group interviewed dozens of witnesses,^[6] but the event remains unexplained. The group claims to have ruled out most earthly explanations, such as a small plane, gas, blimp, weather balloon, satellite, shooting star, military aircraft or debris.^[7]

In 2019, on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the event, local media interviewed witness Cindy Pravda.^[12] In 2020, retired meteorologist Jack Bushong was interviewed about his experiences at the National Weather Service station the night of March 8, 1994.^[1] In 2021, Bushong reported that he "felt vindicated" by a recent government UFO report.^[13] The event was detailed on an episode of the Netflix series Unsolved Mysteries in 2022.^[14]

• UFO sightings in the United States