2014 · coast west of Santiago, between San Antonio and Quintero, Chile

Chilean Navy helicopter FLIR: the object with the hot plume

Sourced, unconfirmed

Strength A · 9/10 · 3 independent

Evidence 4/4 · Witnesses 3/3 · Backing 2/3

Released Navy FLIR footage, a trained helicopter crew and CEFAA's official UAP classification make this strong; the Iberia airliner explanation is well argued but not officially adopted.

Plausibility High

Score 12 · 7 factors for, 0 against

Released Navy FLIR footage, a trained crew and CEFAA's classification; an airliner explanation is well argued, not adopted.

See the factors ↓

Natural cause proposed, not demonstrated

Part ofThe helicopters

When11 November 2014, about 13:52 local

Wherecoast west of Santiago, between San Antonio and Quintero, Chile

Backing3 independent

Evidencesensor data, official records

war.gov video · file page ↗

In their own words

“flat, elongated structure" with "two thermal spotlights like discharges that did not coincide with the axel of motion." Technician: "white with a semi-oval shape on the horizontal axis"; "In two instances it discharged some type of gas or liquid with a high thermal track or signal.”

Pilot (a Navy captain, unnamed): the object was a

A Chilean Navy Airbus AS-532 Cougar helicopter on a daytime coastal patrol filmed an object over the sea for 9 min 12 s with a WESCAM MX-15 HD camera, mostly in infrared. The object was about the same altitude as the helicopter (about 4,500 ft) and an estimated 55-65 km away. Twice it released a bright hot plume. Neither coastal radar nor the DGAC primary radar in Santiago showed it, and the crew's radio calls went unanswered. CEFAA (Comité de Estudios de Fenómenos Aéreos Anómalos, part of Chile's civil aviation authority DGAC) studied the footage for about two years with military, academic and French GEIPAN-linked analysts. A majority of its committee classified it as a UAP, and the video was made public in January 2017 through journalist Leslie Kean. Within about a week of the release, Metabunk analysts matched the object to Iberia flight IB6830, an A340 leaving Santiago, with the plumes being short aerodynamic contrails. The French analyst on CEFAA's own panel had already suggested an airliner. The explanation is well supported but not officially adopted. I could not read any CEFAA document: cefaa.gob.cl was unreachable (proxy refused the connection).

Evidence, in date order (3)

11 Nov 2014Chilean Navy WESCAM MX-15 camerasensor data
9 min 12 s of infrared and visual video of the object and its hot plumes, released 2017 Mirror copy of the video
Jan 2017CEFAA (DGAC) committeeofficial
a majority classified the case as a UAP after about two years of study Leslie Kean, "Groundbreaking UFO Video Just Released By Chilean Navy", HuffPost, 5 Jan 2017
Jan 2017Alberto Vergara, Air Force photogrammetryofficial
found no editing and judged it a real 3-D object moving independently of wind Leslie Kean, "Groundbreaking UFO Video Just Released By Chilean Navy", HuffPost, 5 Jan 2017

How plausible · High

Released Navy FLIR footage, a trained crew and CEFAA's classification; an airliner explanation is well argued, not adopted.

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Access Direct observation or instruments.
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No gain sought Nothing to gain.
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Character record Trained professionals.
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Checkable details check out Released official records.
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Physical traces or official reaction Instrument data or physical traces.
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Fits the documented skeleton Fits the documented record.

Plausibility weighs how well an account fits where secrecy hides the documents by design, so missing records never count against it. Strength measures what is documented. Assessed 2026-10-23.

On the record

The aircraft was a Chilean Navy AS-532 Cougar flying north along the coast at about 4,500 ft and 132 kt. The weather was clear, the cloud base at 10,000 ft, with stratocumulus below. The camera was a WESCAM MX-15 HD. This is from CEFAA via Kean (secondhand).
A coastal radar station and the DGAC primary radar in Santiago tracked the helicopter but not the object. Air traffic control reported no traffic and no authorised flights in that airspace. This is from CEFAA via Kean (secondhand).
A majority of the CEFAA committee classified the case as a UAP. Bermúdez: "We do not know what it was, but we do know what it was not." (Kean; secondhand).
Committee findings, as reported by Kean (all secondhand): Alberto Vergara (Air Force photogrammetry) found no evidence of editing and judged it a real 3-D object. Luis Salazar (Air Force meteorologist) found no balloons aloft. Luis Barrera (astrophysicist) ruled out re-entering space debris. A Navy admiral ruled out drones and exercises.

Claims

The object kept pace with the helicopter at about the same altitude and was visible to the naked eyefirsthandSourced, unconfirmedpilot and technician; chain: crew → CEFAA → Kean

The object emitted "some type of gas or liquid" twice with a high thermal signaturefirsthandSourced, unconfirmedtechnician; chain: technician → CEFAA → Kean

The object "moved independently of wind" and emitted "some kind of energyanalysisSourced, unconfirmedAlberto Vergara (FACh photogrammetry); chain: Vergara → Kean

The object was hotter than 50 °CanalysisSourced, unconfirmedLuis Salazar; chain: Salazar → Kean

Where

coast west of Santiago, between San Antonio and Quintero, Chile

40.3°N 109.8°W

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