Notable UFO Incidents Across Chilean History

Chronicle major sightings from 1968 to 2018, highlighting official investigations and outcomes.

On this page

1968–1975 Meteorological Commission Phase
1997 Arica and Paihuano reports
2012 military lights and 2018 LIVOR case

Introduction

Chile’s UFO history is unusual because several of its most famous cases were not left entirely to tabloids or private enthusiasts. From the late 1960s onward, Chilean meteorological authorities, civil aviation officials and later the Directorate General of Civil Aeronautics (DGAC) created formal channels for investigating anomalous aerial reports. That institutional continuity makes Chile one of the more document-rich national UFO case studies in South America, even though many incidents eventually received ordinary explanations or remained unresolved rather than “confirmed extraterrestrial”. [Chile Travel]chile.travelUfology in Chile: The best destinations for the sighting of…27 Aug 2021 — However, not all are amateur groups, in 1997 the CEFAA was c…

Major Cases illustration 1 The country’s most discussed incidents stretch from the early meteorological commission period beginning in 1968 through the CEFAA era after 1997 and into the later SEFAA archive. Some cases involved pilots or military observers, others involved mass public sightings, and a few became internationally famous because official investigators initially classified them as unexplained. Yet Chile’s record is also a useful study in how UFO narratives evolve over time: early uncertainty sometimes hardened into mythology, while later technical reviews frequently reduced extraordinary claims to atmospheric effects, aircraft, astronomical objects or incomplete data.

The 1968–1975 meteorological commission era

Chile’s first sustained official UFO effort began on 9 July 1968 under a commission connected to the national meteorological service. Later DGAC publications describe this as the foundation of Chile’s formal investigative tradition before the later CEFAA organisation was created in 1997. [Wikipedia]WikipediaUnidentified flying objectUnidentified flying object

This early phase matters less for a single definitive incident than for establishing a pattern: reports from commercial pilots, remote desert regions and military observers were increasingly archived instead of dismissed outright. Chile’s geography contributed heavily to this culture. The Atacama Desert, long mountain horizons and low light pollution produced many observations of meteors, satellites and atmospheric phenomena that were difficult for witnesses to interpret in real time. [Chile Travel]chile.travelUfology in Chile: The best destinations for the sighting of…27 Aug 2021 — However, not all are amateur groups, in 1997 the CEFAA was c…

The 1968 Santiago–Valparaíso photograph

One of the period’s best-known images was reportedly taken on 17 March 1968 between Santiago and Valparaíso by a director associated with the University of Chile’s Cosmic Radiation Center. The image circulated widely in Chilean UFO literature and later through archive agencies and image collections. [Bridgeman Images]bridgemanimages.comBridgeman ImagesUFO, CHILE, 1968 Photo of an UFO taken between…UFO, CHILE, 1968 Photo of an UFO taken between Santiago and Valparaiso…

The photograph became influential largely because it appeared during the same year that official interest in UFO reporting was becoming formalised. However, the evidential value of the image remains weak by modern standards. There is little surviving technical metadata, no independent trajectory reconstruction and no reliable chain of custody for the original negative. Later analysts treated it more as a cultural landmark in Chilean ufology than as persuasive evidence of an unknown craft.

Why the early period remains ambiguous

Most cases from 1968 to 1975 suffer from the same limitations:

witness recollections were often published years later;
radar confirmation was rare;
photographic evidence was analogue and poorly preserved;
many reports originated in isolated regions with limited corroboration.

This means the early commission period is historically important but scientifically uneven. It established an archive mentality inside Chilean aviation circles, yet very few individual incidents from the era can now be tested rigorously.

The 1997 Arica sightings and the rebirth of official investigation

The modern era of Chilean UFO investigation effectively began in 1997. According to DGAC histories, a wave of reports in Arica and northern Chile helped motivate the creation of CEFAA, the Committee for the Study of Anomalous Aerial Phenomena. [Chile Travel]chile.travelUfology in Chile: The best destinations for the sighting of…27 Aug 2021 — However, not all are amateur groups, in 1997 the CEFAA was c… [Openminds.tv]openminds.tvufo disclosure chilean style 896UFO Disclosure Chilean Style5 Mar 2012 — CEFAA was created back in 1997 when General Bermúdez was the director of the Technical School of…

Arica sits near Chile’s northern frontier and includes heavily monitored airspace around Chacalluta Airport. Reports in late March and early April 1997 described unusual luminous objects seen by civilians and airport-linked personnel. Some accounts claimed the lights manoeuvred unpredictably or hovered for extended periods. Chilean newspapers amplified the story rapidly, turning the incident into one of the country’s first nationally recognised UFO waves. [Ufologie]ufologie.patrickgross.orgUfologie Chile announces UFOs are for realUfologieChile announces UFOs are for real - Patrick GrossOn 2nd April 1997, Chilean newspaper "La Cuarta" has the following headline: "UF…Published: April 1997

Why the Arica reports became nationally significant

The importance of the Arica episode was institutional rather than evidential. Chilean aviation authorities concluded that repeated reports involving airport observers justified creating a dedicated review structure. CEFAA was formally established later that year under the DGAC. [Openminds.tv]openminds.tvufo disclosure chilean style 896UFO Disclosure Chilean Style5 Mar 2012 — CEFAA was created back in 1997 when General Bermúdez was the director of the Technical School of…

That shift changed the tone of Chilean UFO discussion. Instead of relying entirely on sensational media coverage, the country now had a state-backed body tasked with gathering testimony, radar information, photographs and meteorological data. Investigators increasingly framed UFOs as potential air-safety anomalies rather than proof of alien visitation.

The weakness of the surviving evidence

Despite the mythology surrounding Arica, the surviving documentation remains fragmentary. Publicly available accounts rarely include full radar logs or technical analyses, and many descriptions are second-hand retellings published years later. Some sceptical researchers argue that the reports were likely a mixture of bright astronomical objects, aircraft lighting and misinterpretation amplified by intense media attention.

As a result, the Arica events remain historically important but evidentially inconclusive. Their strongest legacy is that they triggered Chile’s long-running official investigative framework.

The 1998 Paihuano incident and Chile’s “UFO Route”

If one Chilean case became embedded in popular tourism and UFO folklore, it was Paihuano in the Elqui Valley during 1998. The valley already had a reputation for clear skies, observatories and mystical tourism, making it fertile ground for extraordinary interpretations. [VICE]vice.comi went alien hunting on chile ufo routeVICEI Went Alien Hunting on Chile's Mountainous 'UFO Route'Dec 1, 2023 — In South America, Chile is considered by Ufologists as one of th…

Witnesses reported luminous aerial objects near Paihuano, and media coverage transformed the area into a major destination for UFO tourism. Local businesses, tour operators and enthusiasts promoted the region as a hotspot for unexplained aerial activity. Over time, the “Ruta UFO” or UFO Route became part of the region’s tourism identity.

The tension between tourism and investigation

The Paihuano reports illustrate a recurring problem in Chilean UFO history: strong cultural visibility does not necessarily correlate with strong evidence.

Unlike aviation-linked incidents involving pilots or military personnel, the Paihuano accounts were dominated by civilian testimony and media retelling. There was little verifiable instrument data. Astronomers and sceptics repeatedly noted that the region’s exceptionally clear skies make planets, meteors, satellites and atmospheric effects appear unusually vivid. [SciELO]scielo.org.coReflections on Evidence in Chilean Ufologyby DE Santo · 2020 · Cited by 10 — Chile is considered by many UFO researchers as one of the pr…

Still, Paihuano mattered because it helped cement UFOs within Chilean public culture. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, Chile developed a rare combination of official investigation and commercialised UFO tourism existing side by side.

The 2012 military and aviation-linked light cases

By the 2010s, CEFAA had become internationally known because it occasionally released official summaries and video material. Several military-linked or pilot-observed cases from around 2012 attracted attention because they involved trained observers and infrared imaging rather than ordinary civilian testimony. [Universe Today]universetoday.comchilean government releases declassified ufo videoHowever, a possible explanation…

These incidents reflected a broader global shift from classic “flying saucer” narratives toward aviation-oriented “unidentified aerial phenomena” language. Chilean investigators increasingly emphasised structured analysis instead of speculative conclusions.

Major Cases illustration 2

The naval helicopter infrared case

The most internationally famous Chilean case of the decade involved footage captured on 11 November 2014 by a Chilean Navy helicopter, though the investigation and public release unfolded later and became widely discussed around 2016–2017. CEFAA initially classified the object as an unidentified aerial phenomenon after a lengthy review. [Universe Today]universetoday.comchilean government releases declassified ufo videoHowever, a possible explanation…

The crew observed what appeared to be a distant airborne object showing two thermal hotspots on infrared equipment. At moments, the object appeared to emit a hot plume-like trail. Investigators stated they could not immediately match it to known civilian or military traffic. [Universe Today]universetoday.comchilean government releases declassified ufo videoHowever, a possible explanation…

For UFO advocates, the case became one of the strongest officially released military videos outside the United States. The footage was widely circulated internationally because Chilean authorities openly acknowledged that the initial investigation had failed to identify the object conclusively.

How sceptical analysis changed the interpretation

The case later became equally important for sceptical investigation. Independent analyst Mick West used flight records, geometry reconstruction and infrared interpretation to argue that the object was almost certainly a distant commercial aircraft, probably Iberia Flight IB6830, viewed under atmospheric conditions that exaggerated its thermal appearance. [Universe Today]universetoday.comchilean government releases declassified ufo videoHowever, a possible explanation…

This reinterpretation mattered because it demonstrated a recurring pattern in Chilean UFO history:

official investigators sometimes left cases unresolved because data were incomplete;
later civilian analysis occasionally produced more conventional explanations;
“unidentified” often meant “insufficiently resolved”, not “non-human”.

The naval footage remains one of Chile’s most discussed cases precisely because it sits at the boundary between unresolved observation and plausible technical explanation.

The 2018 LIVOR case

One of the final major incidents highlighted in Chilean official compilations was the 2018 LIVOR case, included in DGAC and CEFAA retrospective material covering selected incidents from 1956 to 2018. [Wikipedia]WikipediaList of online newspaper archivesWikipedia:List of online newspaper archivesThis is a list of online newspaper archives and some magazines and journals, including both…

Public information about LIVOR is thinner than for the naval helicopter video, but the case became notable because it represented the mature phase of Chile’s investigative approach. By this period, Chilean authorities had adopted more restrained language and generally avoided dramatic conclusions.

What made LIVOR notable

The LIVOR incident stood out because it involved structured reporting and technical review rather than purely anecdotal claims. CEFAA-era investigations increasingly incorporated:

aviation communication checks;
weather review;
astronomical consultation;
image analysis;
coordination with air-traffic services.

This procedural emphasis distinguished Chile from many countries where UFO reporting remained fragmented or entirely informal.

Major Cases illustration 3

Why the case remained unresolved

As with many Chilean files, the final outcome appears to have been uncertainty rather than confirmation of extraordinary technology. That ambiguity is central to understanding Chile’s archive as a whole. The most credible Chilean cases are generally not the most sensational ones. Instead, they are incidents where trained observers genuinely saw something they could not immediately identify, but where available evidence remained insufficient for a definitive conclusion.

What Chile’s major cases actually show

Taken together, Chile’s major UFO incidents reveal several recurring themes.

Official interest did not equal extraterrestrial confirmation

Chile’s aviation authorities repeatedly treated anomalous sightings as legitimate subjects for investigation, but official interest should not be confused with endorsement of alien explanations. CEFAA and later SEFAA consistently framed their role around aviation safety and aerial anomaly review. [Chile Travel]chile.travelUfology in Chile: The best destinations for the sighting of…27 Aug 2021 — However, not all are amateur groups, in 1997 the CEFAA was c…

The strongest cases usually involve aviation observers

Chile’s most credible reports tend to involve:

pilots;

military personnel;
radar operators;
infrared imaging;
structured timelines.

Cases built entirely around mass public excitement or tourism culture generally hold up less well under scrutiny.

Many famous incidents weakened over time

Several celebrated Chilean UFO cases became less mysterious after later technical analysis. The naval helicopter footage is the clearest example. What initially appeared highly anomalous became increasingly compatible with an ordinary aircraft explanation once flight-path reconstruction and infrared behaviour were studied carefully. [Universe Today]universetoday.comchilean government releases declassified ufo videoHowever, a possible explanation…

Chile remains important because of documentation

Even critics of UFO claims often regard Chile as significant because the country preserved records and encouraged formal review instead of suppressing discussion entirely. That archive creates a valuable historical record of how governments, aviation officials and the public interpret ambiguous aerial events under changing technological and cultural conditions.

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Endnotes

Source: Wikipedia
Title: Unidentified flying object
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unidentified_flying_object
Source: chile.travel
Link: https://chile.travel/en/blog/ufology-in-chile-the-best-destinations-for-the-sighting-of-ufos-2/
Source snippet
Ufology in Chile: The best destinations for the sighting of...27 Aug 2021 — However, not all are amateur groups, in 1997 the CEFAA was c...
Source: openminds.tv
Title: ufo disclosure chilean style 896
Link: https://openminds.tv/ufo-disclosure-chilean-style-896/
Source snippet
UFO Disclosure Chilean Style5 Mar 2012 — CEFAA was created back in 1997 when General Bermúdez was the director of the Technical School of...
Source: vice.com
Title: i went alien hunting on chile ufo route
Link: https://www.vice.com/en/article/i-went-alien-hunting-on-chile-ufo-route/
Source snippet
VICEI Went Alien Hunting on Chile's Mountainous 'UFO Route'Dec 1, 2023 — In South America, Chile is considered by Ufologists as one of th...
Source: Wikipedia
Title: List of online newspaper archives
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia%3AList_of_online_newspaper_archives
Source snippet
Wikipedia:List of online newspaper archivesThis is a list of online newspaper archives and some magazines and journals, including both...
Source: youtube.com
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mf70imTsuuo
Source snippet
UFO - Chilean Military Captures Video of Mystery Object - Confirms it is Real...
Source: youtube.com
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pS7qVF2lTQ
Source snippet
Chilean Navy UFO sighting explained | This Is Why...
Source: scielo.org.co
Link: https://www.scielo.org.co/scielo.php?pid=S1900-54072020000400125&script=sci_arttext
Source snippet
Reflections on Evidence in Chilean Ufologyby DE Santo · 2020 · Cited by 10 — Chile is considered by many UFO researchers as one of the pr...
Source: bridgemanimages.com
Link: https://www.bridgemanimages.com/en/noartistknown/ufo-chile-1968-photo-of-an-ufo-taken-between-santiago-and-valparaiso-by-the-director-of-the-cosmic/nomedium/asset/3380696
Source snippet
Bridgeman ImagesUFO, CHILE, 1968 Photo of an UFO taken between...UFO, CHILE, 1968 Photo of an UFO taken between Santiago and Valparaiso...
Source: ufologie.patrickgross.org
Title: Ufologie Chile announces UFOs are for real
Link: https://ufologie.patrickgross.org/htm/offichili.htm
Source snippet
UfologieChile announces UFOs are for real - Patrick GrossOn 2nd April 1997, Chilean newspaper "La Cuarta" has the following headline: "UF...

Published: April 1997
Source: universetoday.com
Title: chilean government releases declassified ufo video
Link: https://www.universetoday.com/articles/chilean-government-releases-declassified-ufo-video
Source snippet
However, a possible explanation...

Additional References

Source: eso.org
Link: https://www.eso.org/sci/publications/messenger/archive/no.68-jun92/messenger-no68-41-42.pdf
Source snippet
Unidentified Object Over Chile IdentifiedLa Silla or other pkm in Chile could be very heEpW for a positive identifteatlon of the Cosmos 2...
Source: alnap.cdn.ngo
Link: https://alnap.cdn.ngo/media/documents/Inequality_and_Solidarity-IP-2019.pdf
Source snippet
of Groningen Inequality and Solidarity Fink, SimonThis collection of scholarly essays is the product of the Euroculture IP (IP) 2019, hel...
Source: granger.com
Title: 0100609 ufo chile 1968 photo of an ufo taken between santiago and v image
Link: https://www.granger.com/0100609-ufo-chile-1968-photo-of-an-ufo-taken-between-santiago-and-v-image.html
Source snippet
Photo Of An UFO Taken Between... JPEG. Browse Similar Images. 1968 · aerial · alien · archival · chile · fake · granger academic · grang...
Source: facebook.com
Title: A strange cigar-shaped UFO was seen hovering over
Link: https://www.facebook.com/HiddenFactsss/posts/a-strange-cigar-shaped-ufo-was-seen-hovering-over-the-sky-in-chile-witnesses-rep/1633041875489112/
Source snippet
Chilean government agency responsible for studying UFO sightings, launched an official investigation.... Mystery Aliens UFO Fanclub ▻ Hi...
Source: jenner.com
Title: anti corruption law update 2018 2019
Link: https://www.jenner.com/a/web/x8M8CckKoqguUYGd4JquPQ/4k1YWm/anti-corruption-law-update-2018-2019.pdf
Source snippet
Update to Anti-Corruption Enforcement 2018 – 2019The Policy's non-binding guidance has even been extended to corporate criminal cases out...
Source: ntma.ie
Title: NTMA Annual Report 2019 English
Link: https://www.ntma.ie/uploads/publication-articles/NTMA-Annual-Report-2019-English.pdf
Source snippet
Annual Report & Financial Statements 201931 Dec 2019 —... 2019. Settling Claims. 54% over half of cases resolved by the. State Claims Ag...
Source: jhmovie.fandom.com
Title: Unidentified flying object
Link: https://jhmovie.fandom.com/wiki/Unidentified_flying_object
Source snippet
flying object | JH Wiki Collection Wiki - FandomIn popular usage, the term UFO came to be used to refer to claims of alien spacecraft, an...
Source: arcom.ac.uk
Title: 2018 Indexed Papers
Link: https://www.arcom.ac.uk/-docs/archive/2018-Indexed-Papers.pdf
Source snippet
THIRTY-FOURTH ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2018...This year's conference attracted 310 submissions in January 2018. Following three rounds of doubl...

Published: January 2018
Source: oecd.org
Title: 9b460fba en
Link: https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/publications/reports/2019/09/energy-policies-of-iea-countries-the-united-states-2019_ca3e1d8f/9b460fba-en.pdf
Source snippet
Energy Policies of IEA Countries: The United States 2019 (...The IEA examines the full spectrum of energy issues including oil, gas and...
Source: youtube.com
Title: RICARD O BERMUDEZ UFO CASE
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3CI3AeE8aQ&vl=hi
Source snippet
RICARDO BERMUDEZ UFO CASE OCTOBER 7, 1997...Jan 11, 2025 — This is a case that occurred in the north of Chile, at the Arica airport, a U...

Published: October 7, 1997