Carlos de los Santos: the mayday over Ajusco
On 3 May 1975 a 23-year-old pilot flying a Piper from Zihuatanejo to Mexico City radioed a mayday: three grey discs had surrounded his plane, one had struck it, and the plane was flying without his control. The episode lasted about 18 minutes before the objects left and he regained control. Mexico's air navigation agency later released the radio transcript, though an earlier answer had called the recording non-existent.
Evidence, in date order (1)
- SENEAM (Mexico's air navigation agency)officialreleased the Centro México radio transcript to Milenio (folio 330028522001002) folio 330028522001002
How plausible · Moderate
An official transcript of the pilot's live mayday, with a controller's radar account at second hand; hypoxia is proposed, not demonstrated.
- ●●Access The pilot himself, live on the radio.
- ●●Checkable details check out SENEAM released the transcript.
- ●●Physical traces or official reaction Live radio exchange and radar.
- ●○Cost of speaking Named, and stuck with it.
- ●○No gain sought Some later media.
- ●○Character record A young commercial pilot.
Plausibility weighs how well an account fits where secrecy hides the documents by design, so missing records never count against it. Strength measures what is documented. Assessed 2026-10-23.