Uruguay, March 1958March 1958

In March 1958, a bus driver in Uruguay reported seeing an unidentified flying object during an early morning route. The driver and his wife, along with a bus attendant, observed the phenomenon together, making it one of the case's key strengths.

The witnesses described several distinct red lights that appeared stationary above the ground at a distance of about 10 to 12 meters ahead of the bus. As the driver approached, he noticed other lights rotating horizontally at high speed. In the middle of these rotating lights, a red light blinked on and off, positioned slightly higher than the others. The entire cluster of lights moved in multiple directions at low altitude, with the rotating lights moving from left to right. After 7 to 10 minutes, the object emitted a bright white-blue light that illuminated an area of roughly 150 meters in radius with intense brightness. The object then departed abruptly toward the south-southwest and disappeared from view.

The investigation was conducted by CIOVI (Centro de Investigaciones de Objetos Voladores Inidentificados), Uruguay's official UFO research organization. The investigators found the witnesses to be reliable and trustworthy. The case file notes that CIOVI's conclusion was based on the evidence presented: the phenomenon was classified as an unidentified flying object of the "flying saucer" type. The report states the case shares notable coincidences with other known sightings and can be considered a classic example. The Air Force's initial evaluation was "probably balloon," though the file indicates insufficient data for a definitive conclusion.

This case file, consisting of 7 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced in full below.