Van Buren, Arkansas, United States
The Arkansas Colonel's Photographs
Retired USAF Colonel Brian Fields photographed bright yellow-orange lights near Van Buren shortly before 19:00 on 9 January 2007. Fields considered them extraordinary. Military sources later stated that A-10 aircraft were dropping LUU-2 parachute illumination flares on the nearby Razorback Range at
Why This Case Matters
A useful professional-witness identification case: even an experienced retired Air Force officer can see unfamiliar military illumination flares from outside the range context.
Chronology
- 9 Jan ~18:50 Fields sees and photographs bright lights
- story spreads nationally
- Fort Chaffee/Barksdale-linked officials confirm A-10 flare activity on Razorback Range
- Fields disputes that the motion looked like flares
- case remains popularly framed as UFO photography
The Witnesses
Evidence
The following evidence types are documented for this case:
Conventional explanations: LUU-2 parachute illumination flares are the leading explanation and match colour, grouping, duration and nearby military-range activity.
What Remains Unresolved
- Exact camera azimuth and flare-drop coordinates
- whether every photographed light belongs to the same flare sequence.
Key Takeaways
- Professional experience does not override an exact nearby training explanation. Treat this as strongly near-identified/identified flare imagery.
Sources
Primary and secondary sources for this case file: