Antioquia UAP Sighting (Arteaga Flyby)

The Encounter

On May 12, 2022, Captain pilot Jorge A. Arteaga was flying a single-engine propeller aircraft at approximately 12,500 feet near Medellín and Santa Fe in Antioquia, Colombia's mountainous northwest region. During the flight, he and his co-pilot observed a silver, disc-shaped object with a pointed front and rounded back.

Object Behavior

The object initially appeared stationary, floating in the air between Medellín and Santa Fe. When the pilots attempted to approach or track it, the object abruptly accelerated to high speed and flew directly toward their aircraft, passing close to the fuselage before disappearing from view. Arteaga managed to capture the encounter on video from the aircraft window, with the propeller and aircraft structure visible in the frame.

Pilot Assessment

Both pilots noted the object's behavior was inconsistent with conventional aircraft, drones, or balloons. Arteaga specifically noted that the aircraft's wake would have disrupted or displaced a balloon. The object's sudden velocity changes and the manner in which it maintained position seemed anomalous to the experienced pilots.

Authentication and Analysis

The footage remained largely unknown until its viral release in February 2024. Mexican ufologist and journalist Jaime Maussan analyzed the video and stated: "We are facing one of the greatest UAP (UFO) evidences of all time." Maussan collaborated with retired U.S. Navy pilot Ryan Graves in validating the footage's authenticity and analyzing the object's physical characteristics. The video's metadata and filming technique withstood scrutiny from professional video analysts.

Skeptical Explanations

Online skeptics proposed the object was a Mylar balloon, though Arteaga disputed this explanation based on the object's behavior, speed, and the physics of wake displacement. No definitive conventional explanation has been widely accepted in professional aviation circles.