Visual reconstruction and recovered media extracted from the incident dossier. This case includes still evidence and analytical reconstruction.
Representative official gallery image traced to an official public-source archive
Iberia Airlines Flight IB-297 made an emergency landing at Valencia's Manises Airport after objects with brilliant red lights nearly collided with the aircraft over the Mediterranean. The Spanish Air Force scrambled a Mirage F-1, whose pilot also observed the objects and reported they outperformed his aircraft before disappearing. The Spanish Air Ministry's official report classified the incident CONFIDENTIAL — it is cited in Spain's partial UAP record disclosure.
On the night of November 11, 1979, Iberia Airlines Flight IB-297 was en route from Mallorca to Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, when the crew observed brilliant red lights approaching on a collision course over the Mediterranean Sea. Captain Comandante Lerdo de Tejada made multiple evasive maneuvers to avoid the objects, which appeared to track the aircraft's movements. After repeated close approaches, the captain declared an emergency and diverted to Valencia's Manises Airport. On the ground, the airport fire trucks were deployed and the aircraft landed safely. The Spanish Air Force scrambled a Mirage F-1 from Los Llanos Air Base to investigate. The Mirage pilot, Commander Fernando Cámara, reported making visual and radar contact with a large lenticular or flat disc-shaped object. When he attempted to close on it, the object performed maneuvers that exceeded the F-1's performance envelope and rapidly outran the interceptor. The object then disappeared at high speed. The Spanish Air Ministry's investigation report, classified CONFIDENTIAL, was included in Spain's partial declassification of UAP records in the 1990s. The Manises case is unique in the European official record as the only confirmed instance of a commercial airliner declaring an in-flight emergency attributed to a UAP encounter.
This incident is indexed as file STATE-014inside Now Declassified's research layer. The nearest official source trail for this agency points to NARA RG 615 / State Dept, where archive records, imagery, or supporting context are published for public review.
OPEN OFFICIAL SOURCE CONTEXT →Does this case match something you witnessed? Run the sighting matcher to compare your experience.
MATCH MY SIGHTINGWe'll notify you when new declassified archive material or official UAP source updates land on the site.
Matched by shared agency, region, shape, or observed behaviors
Object tracked making multiple precise 90-degree turns at approximately 80 mph over Greek airspace. Turns executed with zero radius — inconsistent with any known aircraft. State Dept cable filed via Athens embassy.
Over 13,500 witnesses reported a large triangular object with bright lights traversing Belgium over 18 months. Belgian Air Force F-16s achieved radar lock on the object twice; it accelerated from 280 mph to 1,100 mph in 2 seconds and descended from 10,000 ft to 1,000 ft in 5 seconds. The Belgian government publicly acknowledged and investigated the sightings. U.S. Embassy Brussels diplomatic cables are included in the 2026 archive release.
Radar operators at RAF Bentwaters and Lakenheath tracked multiple unknown objects over East Anglia for several hours. A USAF Venom jet interceptor was guided by radar toward one object; the pilot briefly achieved visual contact, then the object moved behind the aircraft and mirrored its every turn — effectively pursuing the interceptor. The pilot could not shake the object through multiple violent maneuvers. The Scientific Advisory Panel (Robertson Panel) evaluated this case in 2026 archive release notes as 'unexplained.'
Loading discussion...