Within Flight Tracking
The infrared UFO that matched an airliner
The Chilean Navy infrared video shows how flight records, camera motion and contrails can turn a famous unresolved case into a testable aircraft match.
On this page
- What the Chilean Navy video appeared to show
- How the airliner correlation was built
- Why the case still matters for evidence standards
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Introduction
The Chilean Navy infrared UFO case is one of the most instructive examples of how flight tracking can transform a seemingly unexplained aerial mystery into a testable identification problem. Recorded on 11 November 2014 by a Chilean Navy helicopter using a Wescam MX-15 infrared camera, the object appeared as a distant aircraft-like shape that periodically released hot-looking plumes visible only in infrared. After a two-year investigation, Chile’s official UFO study body, CEFAA, concluded that the object remained unexplained. Yet within days of the video’s public release, independent investigators used flight records, geometry and camera analysis to propose a specific commercial airliner match. The resulting debate became a landmark case in aircraft correlation and evidence standards for UFO investigations. [Skeptical Inquirer]skepticalinquirer.orgcurated crowdsourcing in ufo investigationsSkeptical InquirerCurated Crowdsourcing in UFO Investigations25 May 2017 — At 1:52pm on November 11, 2014, a Chilean Navy helicopter was… [Ars Technica]arstechnica.comafter two years of study chilean officials cant explain ufo sightingThe Ars Files casts a skeptical eye on developments in the UFO community. Is the truth out…Read more…
What the Chilean Navy video appeared to show
The encounter occurred during a daytime patrol flight along the Chilean coast. The helicopter crew observed a distant object and tracked it for several minutes with an infrared sensor. On the video, the target appears elongated, maintains a steady course, and twice seems to emit large thermal plumes that spread behind it. These emissions became the most discussed feature of the case because they looked unusual and were not obvious in visible-light imagery. New York Post [iflscience]iflscience.com, which appeared to be flying at a similar speed to the helicopter, at…Read more… Investigators from CEFAA interviewed the crew, examined radar information and reviewed the sensor footage. The official investigation concluded that the object could not be positively identified. The inability of controllers and radar operators to immediately associate the sighting with known traffic contributed to the case’s reputation as one of the strongest modern military UFO reports. New York Post [Ars Technica]arstechnica.comafter two years of study chilean officials cant explain ufo sightingThe Ars Files casts a skeptical eye on developments in the UFO community. Is the truth out…Read more…
At first glance, the video seemed to show three unusual features:
- A distant object maintaining a steady course.
- Apparent releases of hot material or gas.
- Difficulty obtaining a straightforward radar identification.
These elements encouraged interpretations ranging from an unknown aircraft to a genuinely anomalous aerial phenomenon. [Wikipedia]WikipediaObservation d'un ovni par la Marine chilienne le 14 novembre 2014Observation d'un ovni par la Marine chilienne le 14 novembre 2014
How the airliner correlation was built
The later aircraft identification effort did not begin with assumptions about what the object was. Instead, investigators worked backwards from the video’s time, location, viewing direction and camera behaviour.
Narrowing the list of candidate flights
Open-source researchers compared the recorded time of the sighting with commercial flight records operating near central Chile. Analysis quickly reduced the possibilities to a small number of airliners. Two flights attracted particular attention: LAN flight LA330 and Iberia flight IB6830, an Airbus A340 departing Santiago for Madrid. [Universe Today]universetoday.comUniverse TodayChilean Government Releases Declassified UFO Video14 Jan 2017 — After examining the flights GPS data and conducting a 3D an…
The key insight was that a distant high-altitude jet does not need to be physically close to the observing aircraft. A large airliner tens of miles away can still produce a visible infrared target, especially when viewed against a cold sky background. The apparent lack of dramatic motion in the footage was also consistent with a distant aircraft observed from another moving aircraft. [Skeptical Inquirer]skepticalinquirer.orgcurated crowdsourcing in ufo investigationsSkeptical InquirerCurated Crowdsourcing in UFO Investigations25 May 2017 — At 1:52pm on November 11, 2014, a Chilean Navy helicopter was…
Reconstructing geometry and camera motion
Researchers then examined the helicopter’s position, heading and camera pointing angles. By reconstructing lines of sight and comparing them with known flight paths, they found that IB6830 provided an especially strong match for the object’s observed location and movement. The estimated position of the airliner aligned with where the infrared target should have appeared from the helicopter’s perspective. [Universe Today]universetoday.comUniverse TodayChilean Government Releases Declassified UFO Video14 Jan 2017 — After examining the flights GPS data and conducting a 3D an… [Skeptical Inquirer]skepticalinquirer.orgcurated crowdsourcing in ufo investigationsSkeptical InquirerCurated Crowdsourcing in UFO Investigations25 May 2017 — At 1:52pm on November 11, 2014, a Chilean Navy helicopter was…
An important part of the analysis involved understanding the sensor itself. Infrared cameras compress three-dimensional scenes into a two-dimensional image. At long distances, small errors in estimating range can create large misunderstandings about speed, altitude and manoeuvrability. The object appeared mysterious partly because viewers lacked an accurate distance estimate. Once the possibility of a far-off airliner was introduced, the geometry became much more consistent with ordinary aviation traffic. [Skeptical Inquirer]skepticalinquirer.orgcurated crowdsourcing in ufo investigationsSkeptical InquirerCurated Crowdsourcing in UFO Investigations25 May 2017 — At 1:52pm on November 11, 2014, a Chilean Navy helicopter was…
Explaining the “plumes”
The apparent emissions were often described as gas releases or ejected material. The aircraft-correlation explanation proposed a different mechanism: aerodynamic contrails or exhaust-related condensation becoming visible under specific infrared conditions. Rather than showing a vehicle periodically dumping material, the thermal imagery could be highlighting changing atmospheric effects around the aircraft’s wake. Metabunk [Universe Today]universetoday.comUniverse TodayChilean Government Releases Declassified UFO Video14 Jan 2017 — After examining the flights GPS data and conducting a 3D an…
This interpretation addressed one of the most puzzling aspects of the video. What appeared to be sudden releases could instead result from changing humidity conditions, viewing angle, sensor settings and thermal contrast between the wake and the surrounding atmosphere. Infrared imagery often presents such effects in ways that do not resemble their appearance in visible light. [Metabunk]metabunk.orgMetabunkChilean Navy "UFO" video - Aerodynamic Contrails, Flight…6 Jan 2017 — Based on analysis by @Trailblazer, @Trailspotter, myself…
Why the case still matters for evidence standards
The Chilean infrared case remains important not because everyone agrees on the identification, but because it demonstrated a rigorous method for testing UFO claims.
First, it showed that official uncertainty is not the same as proof of anomaly. CEFAA concluded that it could not identify the object, but later investigators demonstrated that a specific and testable aircraft hypothesis could be constructed from publicly available information. An unresolved case can therefore move into a different evidential category when new data analysis becomes available. [Ars Technica]arstechnica.comafter two years of study chilean officials cant explain ufo sightingThe Ars Files casts a skeptical eye on developments in the UFO community. Is the truth out…Read more… [Skeptical Inquirer]skepticalinquirer.orgcurated crowdsourcing in ufo investigationsSkeptical InquirerCurated Crowdsourcing in UFO Investigations25 May 2017 — At 1:52pm on November 11, 2014, a Chilean Navy helicopter was…
Second, the case highlighted the value of combining multiple evidence streams. Flight records alone were not enough. The proposed identification depended on synchronising aircraft movements, camera pointing data, line-of-sight geometry and atmospheric effects. Removing any one of those elements would have made the correlation much weaker. [Skeptical Inquirer]skepticalinquirer.orgcurated crowdsourcing in ufo investigationsSkeptical InquirerCurated Crowdsourcing in UFO Investigations25 May 2017 — At 1:52pm on November 11, 2014, a Chilean Navy helicopter was…
Third, it became a demonstration of the strengths and limitations of infrared imagery. Military-grade sensors are powerful observational tools, but they do not automatically reveal the true nature of a target. Distance compression, thermal contrast, atmospheric effects and camera tracking behaviour can produce impressions that are difficult to interpret without contextual data. [The Guardian]theguardian.comThe Guardian I study UFOs – and I don't believe the alien hypeHere's why11 June 2021 — UFO enthusiasts claim that there's amazing evidence of UAPs, representing something incredible, and that a speci… [Ars Technica]arstechnica.comafter two years of study chilean officials cant explain ufo sightingThe Ars Files casts a skeptical eye on developments in the UFO community. Is the truth out…Read more…
The enduring lesson is not simply that the object was or was not a particular airliner. Rather, the case shows how modern UFO investigation increasingly depends on reconstructing the physical circumstances of an observation. The Chilean Navy video became famous as an unresolved UFO, but its lasting significance lies in how flight tracking and aircraft correlation turned a dramatic infrared mystery into a detailed, evidence-based test of competing explanations. [Skeptical Inquirer]skepticalinquirer.orgcurated crowdsourcing in ufo investigationsSkeptical InquirerCurated Crowdsourcing in UFO Investigations25 May 2017 — At 1:52pm on November 11, 2014, a Chilean Navy helicopter was… [Universe Today]universetoday.comUniverse TodayChilean Government Releases Declassified UFO Video14 Jan 2017 — After examining the flights GPS data and conducting a 3D an…
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Endnotes
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Source: iflscience.com
Link: https://www.iflscience.com/chilean-government-releases-an-unexplainable-ufo-sighting-video-39751Source snippet
, which appeared to be flying at a similar speed to the helicopter, at...Read more...
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Source: Wikipedia
Title: Observation d’un ovni par la Marine chilienne le 14 novembre 2014
Link: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Observation_d%27un_ovni_par_la_Marine_chilienne_le_14_novembre_2014 -
Source: metabunk.org
Link: https://www.metabunk.org/threads/explained-chilean-navy-ufo-video-aerodynamic-contrails-flight-ib6830.8306/Source snippet
MetabunkChilean Navy "UFO" video - Aerodynamic Contrails, Flight...6 Jan 2017 — Based on analysis by @Trailblazer, @Trailspotter, myself...
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Source: metabunk.org
Title: dave falchs claims about ir visibility in the chilean navy ufo ib6830.13664
Link: https://www.metabunk.org/threads/dave-falchs-claims-about-ir-visibility-in-the-chilean-navy-ufo-ib6830.13664/Source snippet
Explained: Chilean Navy "UFO" video - Aerodynamic Contrails, Flight IB6830...
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Source: metabunk.org
Title: NY T: GIMBAL Video of U.S
Link: https://www.metabunk.org/threads/nyt-gimbal-video-of-u-s-navy-jet-encounter-with-unknown-object.9333/Source snippet
Navy Jet Encounter with...16 Dec 2017 — Don't forget that in 2012 Chile's UFO program, and Leslie Kean, promoted a video showing a fly b...
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Source: skepticalinquirer.org
Title: curated crowdsourcing in ufo investigations
Link: https://skepticalinquirer.org/newsletter/curated-crowdsourcing-in-ufo-investigations/Source snippet
Skeptical InquirerCurated Crowdsourcing in UFO Investigations25 May 2017 — At 1:52pm on November 11, 2014, a Chilean Navy helicopter was...
Published: November 11, 2014
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Source: arstechnica.com
Title: after two years of study chilean officials cant explain ufo sighting
Link: https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/01/after-two-years-of-study-chilean-officials-cant-explain-ufo-sighting/Source snippet
The Ars Files casts a skeptical eye on developments in the UFO community. Is the truth out...Read more...
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Source: universetoday.com
Link: https://www.universetoday.com/articles/chilean-government-releases-declassified-ufo-videoSource snippet
Universe TodayChilean Government Releases Declassified UFO Video14 Jan 2017 — After examining the flights GPS data and conducting a 3D an...
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Source: theguardian.com
Title: The Guardian I study UFOs – and I don’t believe the alien hype
Link: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/jun/11/i-study-ufos-and-i-dont-believe-the-alien-hype-heres-whySource snippet
Here's why11 June 2021 — UFO enthusiasts claim that there's amazing evidence of UAPs, representing something incredible, and that a speci...
Published: June 2021
Additional References
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Source: player.one
Link: https://www.player.one/ufo-sightings-2017-chilean-navy-releases-video-mysterious-craft-spraying-something-577075Source snippet
UFO Sightings 2017: Chilean Navy Releases Video Of...Jan 5, 2017 — The remarkable footage was captured by two naval officers on a helico...
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Source: reddit.com
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/UFOs/comments/10awpbo/documents_and_video_released_on_the_november_11/Source snippet
November 11, 2014, Chilean Navy Helicopter UFO Encounter... Iberia Airlines flight IB6830 https...Read more...
Published: November 11, 2014
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Source: sofrep.com
Title: chilean government releases footage ufo captured navy helicopter
Link: https://sofrep.com/news/chilean-government-releases-footage-ufo-captured-navy-helicopter/Source snippet
Chilean Government releases footage of UFO captured by...10 Jan 2017 — Chilean Government releases footage of UFO captured by Navy Helico...
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Source: newsweek.com
Title: chilean navy id mysterious aircraft caught video 539786
Link: https://www.newsweek.com/chilean-navy-id-mysterious-aircraft-caught-video-539786Source snippet
Chilean Navy Can't Identify Mysterious Aircraft Caught on...Jan 6, 2017 — So far the only mundane explanation offered came from the Fren...
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Source: badufos.blogspot.com
Title: Leslie Kean’s new Infrared UFO Video from Chile
Link: https://badufos.blogspot.com/2017/01/leslie-keans-new-infrared-ufo-video.htmlSource snippet
Solved?8 Jan 2017 — An exceptional nine-minute Navy video of a UFO displaying highly unusual behavior, studied by Chilean authorities for...
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Source: newyorker.com
Title: how the pentagon started taking ufos seriously
Link: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/05/10/how-the-pentagon-started-taking-ufos-seriouslySource snippet
The New YorkerHow the Pentagon Started Taking U.F.O.s Seriously30 Apr 2021 — In the article, “Groundbreaking UFO Video Just Released by C...
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Source: reddit.com
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/UFOs/comments/15s63nd/video_confirmed_by_chilean_navy_of_ufo_ejecting/Source snippet
think i remember he debunked it, but i seem i cannot find it.Read more...
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Source: facebook.com
Link: https://www.facebook.com/ancientwhispers/posts/armed-forces-of-chile-released-footage-showing-an-unidentified-object-recorded-b/894229860263103/Source snippet
oving steadily across the sky without immediately clear...Read more...
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Source: dokumen.pub
Link: https://dokumen.pub/bad-ufos-critical-thinking-about-ufo-claims-1519260849-9781519260840.htmlSource snippet
tos, including the use of Google Earth to show precisely where the...
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Source: reddit.com
Title: what about the chilean ufo video should be
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/ufo/comments/i29tqn/what_about_the_chilean_ufo_video_should_be/Source snippet
What about the Chilean UFO video? Should be considered at...Never-before-seen video from 2014 showing a mysterious flying object of whic...
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