1967 · Over Montánchez (Cáceres) and Badajoz, Spain

Montánchez: two radars, a T-33 and an F-86 scramble

On the record

Strength B · 8/10 · 3 independent

Evidence 3/4 · Witnesses 3/3 · Backing 2/3

Four military pilots, two radar stations, a scramble with a photo, and an Air Defence Command statement; a balloon is plausible but was never checked.

Plausibility High

Score 12 · 6 factors for, 0 against

Four military pilots, two radar stations, a scramble with a photo and an Air Defence Command statement; a balloon was proposed later but never checked.

See the factors ↓

Natural cause proposed, not demonstrated

Part ofOrdered to fire

The only surviving photo from the F-86 scramble of 3 June 1967 (formation EL-01, Torrejón): a print of the gunsight-camera frame, with the ring of reticle dots. The 1992 review says it shows only "un punto luminoso a las 2 del visor". Page 60 of Air Force file 670603. · Ejército del Aire / Ministerio de Defensa (España), Biblioteca Virtual de Defensa, expedientes OVNI

When3 June 1967, 16:20–17:32Z

WhereOver Montánchez (Cáceres) and Badajoz, Spain

Backing3 independent

Evidencesensor data, official records

On 3 June 1967 two Spanish Air Force captains in a T-33 saw a very bright object far above them that changed shape as they moved and caused radio interference. Two radar stations picked it up, and two F-86 fighters were scrambled with cameras but could not climb to it. The Air Defence Command said a real strange object had been in the sky that none of the four pilots could identify. A 1992 review suggested a sounding balloon, without any enquiry having been made.

Evidence, in date order (3)

3 Jun 1967EVA-3 'Bolero' and EVA-2 'Matador' radar squadronssensor data
radar contacts at 16:26Z and 16:45Z, with a 'doble eco' on the height radar
3 Jun 1967Two F-86s from Torrejón (102 Escuadrón)sensor data
scrambled with cameras at 16:59Z, climbed to 42,000 ft, could not close; one photo of a point of light
25 Sept 1992Spanish Air Forceofficial
file 670603, declassified 25 Sep 1992 JEMA 1275

How plausible · High

Four military pilots, two radar stations, a scramble with a photo and an Air Defence Command statement; a balloon was proposed later but never checked.

●●
Access Pilots and radar.
●●
No gain sought Official.
●●
Character record Military pilots.
●●
Independent convergence Four pilots, two radars.
●●
Checkable details check out Spanish file.
●●
Physical traces or official reaction Radar and a photo.

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.

Claims

'No es un avión lo que estamos viendo, es una cosa extraña.' A very bright object far above, near-stationary, changing shape with the angle; strong radio interference twice when passing beneath it.firsthandOn the recordtwo Air Force captains in T-33 'Duende-20'

'La existencia real de un objeto extraño en el espacio'; it 'no ha podido ser debidamente identificado por ninguno de los cuatro pilotos'.analysisOn the recordSpanish Air Defence Command (Mando de la Defensa Aérea)

'Con las lógicas reservas... se trató de un GLOBO SONDA.' Natural cause proposed, not demonstrated.analysisOn the recordAir Force review (JEMA 1275, 1992)

Where

Over Montánchez (Cáceres) and Badajoz, Spain

39.2°N 6.2°W

In The picture

On the recordThe firmest layer is the one trained observers and instruments wrote down. Belgian gendarmes watched silent lit triangles in 1989-90 and ground radars tracked the wave; the Air Force sent F-16s and released its own data, though a radar study it released in 2025 puts the fighters' lock-ons down to their tracking softw…

Pictures2

First page of the Mando Operativo Aéreo summary of file 670603 (Montánchez, Badajoz, 3 June 1967): T-33 "Duende 20", radar contacts by EVA 3 and EVA 2 with double echo, F-86 scramble with film. Declassified JEMA 1275, 25 Sep 1992.