Incident · 11 April 1980 · La Joya Air Base, Arequipa, Peru
La Joya Air Base intercept
Also known as La Joya, Santa María intercept
On 11 April 1980, Peruvian Air Force pilot Oscar Santa María was ordered to intercept a balloon-like object over La Joya Air Base near Arequipa. He says he fired cannon rounds at it without visible effect, and that it then outmanoeuvred his Sukhoi fighter at high altitude.
Santa María described the encounter at the National Press Club in Washington in 2007; his account is listed below.
Sources: National Press Club (2007)
Facts and claims
- claimed Peruvian Air Force pilot Oscar Santa María said he was ordered to intercept a balloon-like object over La Joya Air Base, fired cannon rounds at it with no visible effect, and that it then outmanoeuvred his Sukhoi at high altitude. — Oscar Santa María Huertas Source: National Press Club - November 12th, 2007. UFO Close Encounters at 36:38
Connected files
Events
Hearings & briefings
- Citizen Hearing on Disclosure (subject of)
People
- Oscar Santa María Huertas (witnesses)
Videos
- Citizen Hearing 2013: South American Encounters, Part 1 (discussed in)
- Citizen Hearing 2013: South American Encounters, Part 2 (discussed in)
- TVPerú: the former Peruvian pilot who chased and fired on a UFO over Arequipa speaks (2025) (subject of)
- National Press Club - November 12th, 2007. UFO Close Encounters (discussed in)
Mentioned in this file
- Mike Rounds (Person)
Mentioned in videos
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