Ota: four F-84Gs and the yellow sphere
In 1957 four Portuguese Air Force F-84G jets on a night navigation exercise watched a yellow sphere near the horizon expand, contract and change colour for 35–40 minutes; four smaller spheres separated from it and the formation broke up to avoid a collision. The leader, José Lemos Ferreira, later became chief of the Air Force and then of the armed forces, and told the story on the record. He said a joint report probably went to NATO.
How plausible · High
The formation leader, later Portugal's top general, told it firsthand; hunters on the ground and a magnetic reading support it.
- ●●Access Leading the four-jet formation.
- ●●No gain sought Nothing sold.
- ●●Character record Later Chief of the General Staff.
- ●●Independent convergence Three other pilots; hunters near Coruche saw lights.
- ●○Cost of speaking Spoke on national TV as a retired general.
- ●○Restraint Plain description.
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.