UFO seen in Santiago in 1950

Summary

In March 1950, a U.S. Air Force sergeant in Santiago, Chile, reported seeing an unidentified flying object. While returning to the U.S. Embassy, he noticed several people looking at the sky. Upon arrival, he went to the rooftop with binoculars and spotted a white object moving at high speed in a straight line. Despite trying to photograph it, the object had vanished when he returned with the camera. The official report classified it as unidentified.

The report includes other sightings in the region, such as one in Punta Arenas and another in San Bernardo. A local astronomer, Prof. Frederico Rutland, suggested observers were seeing Venus, but others insisted it was a flying disc. The case reflects the confusion and interest of the time regarding unexplained aerial phenomena.