Night of UFOs in Brazil: What happened on May 19, 1986?

On the night of May 19, 1986, the Brazilian skies witnessed one of the most interesting events in the national aviation history. The night known as the Night of UFOs. In an unprecedented event, flight controllers, Brazilian Air Force (FAB) pilots, and observers on the ground witnessed luminous unexplained events that defied the scientific and technological knowledge of the time.

Reported as one of the most documented encounters with unidentified flying objects in the world, the case continues to arouse curiosity and raise questions even today. So what actually happened on this day?

The 1980s were marked by a significant increase in research and reports on unidentified weather phenomena both in Brazil and worldwide. Advances in radar and aviation technologies have allowed more precise observation and control of airspace. At the same time, interest in the existence of extraterrestrial life has become popular in global culture.

At around 8 pm on the night of May 19, the radars of the Brasília-based Integrated Air Defense and Air Traffic Control Center (Cindacta I) began recording unknown bright objects in the skies of São Paulo over Rio de Janeiro. Janeiro, Goiás and Paraná. Intense lights with various colors and erratic movements This situation, noticed by commercial pilots, military personnel and people on the ground, attracted the attention of the authorities..

Faced with this situation, the FAB mobilized a large-scale air operation and decided to send five fighter jets to search for the objects and, if possible, intercept them. Among the pilots highlighted was then-captain Armindo Sousa Viriato, who reported that while trying to approach one of the objects, the object suddenly accelerated and disappeared from view.

Another pilot, Lieutenant Kleber Caldas Marinho, claimed that he was following an object that was moving at high speed and performing maneuvers impossible for any known aircraft to perform.

The objects seen showed extremely abnormal behavior. Later reports stated that the luminous dots reached speeds in excess of 1,000 km per hour, made sudden changes of direction, and remained suspended in the air without any visible support. Moreover, their altitudes changed rapidly, moving between 1,500 and 12,000 meters within seconds.

Cindacta’s radars Up to 21 objects were recorded simultaneously; some of these disappeared and reappeared in different locationssuggesting the ability to move extremely fast and even momentarily become invisible to detection systems.

The day after the incident, the then Minister of Aviation, Brigadier General Octávio Júlio Moreira Lima, held a press conference acknowledging that the events had occurred. He stated that the observed phenomena “are solid and in a sense reflect intelligence” but their origins are unknown. The FAB conducted a formal investigation, the final report of which was released months later.

“The document confirmed that the objects were seen and detected by multiple radars, but did not offer definitive conclusions about the nature or origin of the UFOs.”

Despite technical records and eyewitness accounts, various alternative explanations have been proposed. Some scientists have suggested that the objects may be rare atmospheric events. such as high-energy plasmas or unusual electrical discharges that can produce light in the sky.

Another hypothesis involves testing advanced military technologiesHowever, no country claimed responsibility for the incident.

The absence of concrete data on the nature of objects and the difficulty of reproducing observed conditions prevent a definitive statement. From a physical and aerodynamic perspective, the acceleration capabilities and maneuvers described in the reports challenge the general understanding of classical mechanics and generate more questions than answers.

Although we don’t have a definitive answer about the Night of the UFOs in 1986, The incident symbolizes how much still defies our understanding.Be it an unknown natural phenomenon, some kind of technology, or even something beyond our imagination. This is a mystery that remains unsolved for now.