2013 Aguadilla UFO Incident

The Incident

On the evening of April 25, 2013, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) DC-8 aircraft was preparing to land at Rafael Hernández Airport near Aguadilla, Puerto Rico when crew members detected a thermal signature on infrared sensors. Using a Wescam MX-15D infrared camera operating in the 3–5 micron band, the crew captured approximately three minutes of footage showing an unidentified circular object exhibiting anomalous behavior.

Observed Behavior

The object was observed moving through urban and coastal areas at low to moderate altitude before descending toward the Atlantic Ocean. The footage shows the object entering the water and re-emerging, accompanied by visible thermal effects. Most remarkably, during the final sequence, the object appears to split into two distinct thermal signatures with separate trajectories, after which it disappears from view.

Technical Analysis

A team of scientists, assembled by Morgan Bell (MUFON Florida State Director) and including researchers Robert Powell, Larry Cates, and Carl Paulson, conducted a comprehensive two-year analysis completed in November 2013. Their 165-page report employed frame-by-frame video examination and cross-referenced the infrared data with independent radar records from the facility.

Radar data independently corroborated the video account, with analysis indicating speeds of 40–120 mph in air and 80–95 mph in water. Radar estimates suggested peak velocities approaching 1,200 mph. The object's estimated size was between 3 and 5 feet. Notably, no transponder signal was detected by radar systems.

Witness Testimony

Beyond the CBP flight crew, multiple independent witnesses reported observations of the event. These included personnel from a FedEx aircraft at the airport and ground staff at Rafael Hernández Airport. The witnesses elected to remain anonymous, limiting public awareness of their accounts. The anonymity, combined with government classification protocols, restricted the scope of independent verification available to researchers.

Investigative Challenges and Skeptical Analysis

The anomalous nature of the object and the absence of conventional explanations have invited competing hypotheses. Skeptics have proposed explanations ranging from Chinese lanterns to Mylar balloons, though these theories struggle to account for the radar signatures and thermal properties documented in the official footage. The U.S. government's initial review by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was unable to determine the object's origin or nature.

Despite decades of UAP incident investigations, the Aguadilla case remains among the best-documented sightings, combining official government video evidence, independent scientific analysis, radar confirmation, and multiple eyewitness accounts.