History of CEFAA in Chile

Summary

The Committee for the Study of Anomalous Aerial Phenomena (CEFAA) was established in 1997 as an official Chilean body dedicated to investigating sightings of unidentified flying objects. This organization continued the work begun in 1968 by the Chilean Commission for the Study of Unidentified Space Phenomena, which operated until 1975. Both emerged in response to an increase in reports of anomalous aerial phenomena in the press. Based in Santiago, the CEFAA focused on collecting, analyzing, and classifying these cases with the aim of supporting air safety across Chile's vast airspace. Over more than two decades, the CEFAA documented hundreds of sightings, some of which remain unexplained. A summary of its work includes notable cases such as the 1997 incident in Arica, where multiple witnesses and pilots reported a bright triangular object observed for several hours. Despite efforts to find conventional explanations, many cases remain classified as unidentified phenomena.