The Brazilian Official UFO Night

On the night of May 19, 1986, the Brazilian Air Force detected and attempted to intercept multiple UFOs over several states. Radar tracked the objects, jets were scrambled, and pilots observed the phenomena. In an unprecedented move, the Brazilian Minister of Aeronautics held a press conference acknowledging the encounters.

The Night

Beginning around 9:00 PM:

• Air traffic control detected unknown objects
• Multiple radar stations confirmed contacts
• The objects appeared over São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and other areas
• Military bases were alerted

The Objects

Controllers and pilots tracked:

• Multiple unknown objects
• Some stationary, some moving rapidly
• Bright, colored lights
• Objects that evaded intercept attempts

Military Response

The Brazilian Air Force:

• Scrambled F-5E and Mirage jets
• Multiple intercept attempts were made
• Pilots visually observed the objects
• The objects outmaneuvered the jets

Pilot Observations

The military pilots reported:

• Large, bright objects
• Objects that changed color
• Extreme acceleration
• Objects that seemed to play cat-and-mouse

Colonel Ozires Silva

One observer was Colonel Ozires Silva:

• President of Petrobrás (state oil company)
• Former president of Embraer
• He was flying that night
• He observed the objects from his aircraft

The Press Conference

On May 23, 1986:

• Minister of Aeronautics Brigadier Octávio Moreira Lima
• Held an unprecedented press conference
• Acknowledged the radar and visual contacts
• Stated the objects were real and unidentified

The Minister’s Statement

Brigadier Lima stated:

• “I don’t believe in the existence of flying saucers”
• But admitted the objects were detected
• Confirmed multiple radar contacts
• Said pilots saw things they couldn’t explain

Radar Confirmation

The encounters featured:

• Multiple civilian and military radar
• Consistent tracking data
• Objects appearing and disappearing
• Speeds and maneuvers beyond aircraft capability

The Scale

The night involved:

• Multiple states
• At least 21 objects tracked
• Several hours of activity
• Coordinated military response

Documentation

The Brazilian government:

• Released official documents
• Provided radar data
• Made pilot reports available
• Maintained transparency unusual for the era

International Attention

The case received:

• Global media coverage
• Interest from researchers worldwide
• Recognition as highly credible
• Ongoing analysis

Significance

The Brazilian Official UFO Night is significant for:

• Government acknowledgment at press conference
• Multiple military witnesses
• Extensive radar documentation
• Unsuccessful intercept attempts
• Transparency unusual for military UFO cases

Legacy

The May 1986 events demonstrated that UFOs could trigger large-scale military responses and that governments could acknowledge such events publicly. Brazil’s transparency set a standard rarely matched by other nations.