We embark on a journey to explore one of the most fascinating and enigmatic events in global Ufology: The Official UFO Night.
This event is unique in its magnitude, as it gathered an impressive number of direct witnesses, including civilians, military personnel, commercial pilots, and authorities. It represents an extraordinary mystery that challenges not only logic but also our understanding of aviation as we know it.
It all began in May 1986, more precisely between the 19th and 20th, when the skies of Brazil became the stage for an unprecedented event. Around 3:00 PM on the 19th, a colossal object, the size of the Maracanãzinho stadium, was seen hovering over Rio de Janeiro. What initially seemed like a simple sighting soon grew into something much larger. Various other flying objects, of different shapes and sizes, began performing impressive maneuvers at speeds impossible for earthly technology. This would mark the beginning of what flight controller Sergeant Sérgio Mota da Silva would later describe as the "Flying Saucer Festival."
The situation rapidly escalated, with reports of sightings coming from various cities, including São José dos Campos, Santa Isabel, and Jundiaí in São Paulo, as well as other locations in Rio de Janeiro. What initially seemed like an isolated sighting transformed into a phenomenon of national proportions. Communications in air traffic control centers were congested, and military units, such as the Air Force Specialist School and the Brazilian Army, went on high alert in response to the mysterious appearances. To make matters worse, several military bases reported power failures while these luminous objects were present.
Around 8:30 PM, six or seven unexplained objects began hovering over São José dos Campos. Witnesses, including Sergeant Mota, observed a triangular object passing at low altitude over the Petrobras refinery. Brigadier Sócrates Monteiro, commander of the Fourth Regional Air Command, also reported the presence of lights over Rio de Janeiro, confirming the magnitude of the phenomenon. The event continued with sightings in cities like Santos, Taubaté, Ubatuba, and Campinas, with multicolored objects performing such complex maneuvers that they defied all understanding of aviation.
The climax occurred when an object was spotted over the Bay of Santos and detected by the Brazilian Air Force radar. The object was accompanied by smaller craft, as they were referred to by military authorities. Colonel Ozires Silva and Commander Alcir Pereira, aboard a Xingu aircraft, diverted their route to investigate the presence of the UFO detected on radar. Shortly thereafter, the pilots spotted another UFO to the left of the aircraft, on the Rio de Janeiro-São Paulo axis, which was not detected by the radar.
Another red UFO was spotted nine kilometers away and at 1,800 meters in altitude. It behaved strangely, disappearing and reappearing at different positions. When the pilots attempted to approach, another identical object was spotted, which was interpreted as a threat to air safety. Flight controller Sérgio Mota alerted the relevant authorities, including the Minister of Aeronautics, Brigadier Otávio Júlio Moreira Lima.
At 9:15 PM, another luminous object was spotted by the São José dos Campos Control Tower, while pilots of PT-MBZ observed a luminous UFO over the northern region of Taubaté. The situation escalated further when F-5 and Mirage fighters were dispatched to intercept the unidentified objects. Lieutenant Kleber spotted a luminous object and began an aerial pursuit, observing the UFOs perform incredible maneuvers, such as sharp accelerations and zigzag movements, indicating intelligence behind these actions.
Other fighters were also sent, and the flight controller reported a rain of targets on the radar. During the pursuit operations, navigation instrument failures occurred, and surprisingly, two Mirage jets crashed, one in Anápolis (Goiás) and another in Campo Grande (Mato Grosso do Sul). To this day, the causes of the crashes remain unknown, as does whether there were any casualties.
The event reached unprecedented levels when Captain Jordão, aboard a JB-07 fighter, faced radar anomalies and instrument failures. Unofficial reports suggest that the aircraft landed due to a lack of fuel after showing signs of high magnetization. The mystery deepens even further with radar records, visual testimonies, and the apparent intelligence behind all the events. Several UFOs were recorded in different locations, suggesting a surprising level of coordination.
More than 35 years after this historic event, the causes of the presence of these unknown intelligences in South American skies, especially in Brazil, remain unanswered. One observation is that the UFO manifestations were concentrated in areas of high technology and defense, such as São José dos Campos, home to the INPE and important strategic industries. However, the relationship between these factors remains a mystery.
After the "flyby" of the UFOs, a thorough investigation was initiated. Sergeant Sérgio Mota da Silva wrote a personal report about the event, but it was never released by the Brazilian Air Force. Similar reports from other authorities, such as Colonel Ozires Silva and Commander Alcir Pereira, also remain classified. While official records from the Brazilian Navy and Army exist, these details remain inaccessible to the public, challenging the norms of public disclosure.
The mystery of the Official UFO Night endures, challenging our understanding of the universe and testing the boundaries of aviation and Ufology. It is essential that documents and testimonies, which may be crucial to resolving this enigma, are finally released. Only then can we advance in the investigation of this fascinating and mysterious phenomenon.
