Sección de Estudios de Fenómenos Aéreos Anómalos

Background and History

Official interest in anomalous aerial phenomena in Chile dates to 1968. That year, under Colonel Sergio Bravo Flores (Director of the then Oficina Meteorológica de Chile), the Comisión Chilena para Estudios de Fenómenos Espaciales No Identificados was established with support from the Sociedad Científica de Chile. It collected reports (roughly a dozen over seven years), some of which were shared with the University of Colorado’s Condon Committee. The commission operated until 1975, when its director retired.

After a gap, a series of sightings reported by crews and the public near Arica in late March and early April 1997, combined with interest from former Chilean Air Force Commander-in-Chief General Ramón Vega Hidalgo, led DGAC Director General Gonzalo Miranda Aguirre to create the Comité de Estudios de Fenómenos Aéreos Anómalos (CEFAA) on 3 October 1997. The first director was Colonel Enzo Di Nocera García; much of the early practical work was handled by air traffic controller Gustavo Rodríguez Navarro. Brigadier General Ricardo Bermúdez Sanhueza later directed the office for an extended period (including a second term into the 2010s).

CEFAA developed a multidisciplinary approach involving aeronautical, meteorological, astronomical, and other specialists. It emphasized flight safety, accepted reports from pilots, air traffic controllers, the military, and the public, and built one of Latin America’s more systematic official case archives. By around 2021 it had logged well over 1,600 cases, with a notable surge during the COVID-19 period (hundreds of reports in 2020).

On 18 October 2021 the original 1997 resolution was repealed. The office was renamed Sección de Estudios de Fenómenos Aéreos Anómalos (SEFAA) and placed under the DGAC’s Communications Sub-Department as part of an internal reorganization. It retained its core investigative function, introduced or expanded digital reporting tools, and continued publishing resolved case summaries. As of 2025–2026 it remains operational, issues monthly or periodic case resolutions (often identifying conventional explanations such as aircraft, satellites/Starlink, birds, planets, or meteorological phenomena), conducts educational talks at airports and institutions, and maintains an active website and social media presence. It applies a scientific process: detailed witness reports, hypothesis generation, data collection (including photos, video, radar where available), analysis, and public conclusions.

Chile’s responsible airspace under DGAC oversight covers a very large area—approximately 32 million square kilometers—from Arica in the north (between roughly 120°–131° W) south to the South Pole.

Secondary link is to a Spanish wikipedia page, translation required.

Founding Date Notes
3 October 1997 (as Comité de Estudios de Fenómenos Aéreos Anómalos – CEFAA, via DGAC Resolución Exenta N° 01599). Renamed and administratively restructured as SEFAA on 18 October 2021 (Resolución Exenta N° 04 / 3 / 0113 / 1385).

Dissolution Date Notes
None. The office remains active as of 2026. It continues to receive reports, publish case summaries, and conduct outreach.

Additional Links and Link Notes:

Chilean government sites sometimes have intermittent access issues, regional filtering, or temporary blocks depending on location, ISP, VPN, or browser settings.

General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics of Chile

SEFFA on X.com

Who we are page

History page 

Case reporting page