Brazil scrambles fighter jets after radar tracks about 21 unknown objects
May 19, 1986 · Sao Jose dos Campos, Sao Paulo · Sighting · Secondary sources only
On the night of 19 May 1986, air-defense radar and witnesses across Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais and Goias reported about 21 unidentified objects, and the Air Force scrambled five fighters. On 23 May the Minister of Aeronautics, Brigadier Octavio Moreira Lima, said there was no technical explanation and promised a report. The dossier, released in 2009, said the phenomena 'are solid and reflect, in a certain way, intelligence.'
Why it matters (4/5)
A national air-defense response announced by the Minister of Aeronautics, with an Air Force dossier released in 2009.
Caveats
The account comes from a Brazilian government news article written in 2022, not from the dossier itself. A skeptical discussion on Metabunk was found but not opened. Pilots' descriptions vary between sources.
Sources
- Official UFO Night in Brazil (Government of Brazil (gov.br)), context
- Brazilian UFO Flap of 1986: 'Night of Lights' / 'Official UFO Night' (Metabunk), criticism