Mexican Air Force Campeche infrared lights
- Date
- 5 Mar 2004
- Place
- Over Campeche state near Ciudad del Carmen, Mexico
- Record
- Curated case
- Assessment
- Explained
- Evidence strength
What was reported
The crew of a Mexican Air Force Merlin C-26 on a drug-interdiction patrol recorded up to eleven bright spots on its FLIR infrared camera, which the crew did not see by eye, and the aircraft's radar showed some contacts. The Defence Ministry let the tape be released in May 2004 and Jaime Maussan presented it as evidence of visitors. Thermographers of the Infraspection Institute, analysing it for National Geographic, matched the lights to gas flares on the Cantarell oil platforms in the Bay of Campeche, detectable on infrared from far beyond visual range; the radar contacts were not shown to be the same targets.
What officials concluded
Unresolved
Defence Ministry released the video without an identification
Strongest ordinary reading
Gas flares on the Cantarell oil platforms seen on infrared beyond the horizon
Evidence profile
- No: Visual
- Yes: Infrared
- Yes: Radar
- Yes: Video
- No: Photo
- No: Film
- No: Audio
- No: Night vision
- No: Other sensor
- No: Civilian
- Yes: Military aircrew
- No: Military ground
- No: Airline crew
- Yes: Sensor operator
- No: Law enforcement
- No: Scientist
- No: Astronaut
- No: Intelligence official
- No: Other
- Yes: Light only
- No: Orb or sphere
- No: Disc
- No: Triangle
- No: Cylinder
- No: Cube
- No: Other shape
- No: Physiological
- No: Physical trace
- No: Electromagnetic
- No: Sound
- No: Silent
Outside sources
- Wikipedia: UFO sightings in Mexicoen.wikipedia.org
- eSkeptic, 24 July 2004old.skeptic.com
On the map
18.60° N, 91.80° W, plotted at the centre of the region named in the record
Show on the map