Branchoria UFOs and UAP by Country UFOs and UAP by Country

Compare sightings, records, and explanations across UN member countries.

Within Bolivia UFOs

Did a UFO Really Crash in Tarija?

The 1978 Tarija incident combined widespread sightings and a powerful explosion, yet organised searches found no crater, wreckage, or debris.

37 sources 3 graphics

On this page

  • What witnesses reported across southern Tarija
  • What the ground and aerial searches actually found
  • Why the event remains unresolved but unproven
Preview for Did a UFO Really Crash in Tarija?

Introduction

Did a UFO really crash in Tarija? Based on the available evidence, the answer is that an extraordinary aerial event almost certainly occurred on 6 May 1978, but there is no verified evidence that any object struck the ground or that a crashed spacecraft was recovered. Multiple witnesses across southern Tarija and northern Argentina reported a fiery object followed by a powerful explosion, prompting an organised search involving local authorities, a geologist, military personnel and aerial reconnaissance. Despite these efforts, investigators found no impact crater, no wreckage, no unusual radiation and no authenticated debris. The Tarija incident therefore remains Bolivia’s best-known UFO case not because a crash was proved, but because the absence of expected physical evidence has allowed competing interpretations to persist for decades.[Revista Rascacielos]revistarascacielos.commecoya el misterio sobre un ovni en tarija 1978Revista RascacielosMecoya: El misterio sobre un OVNI en Tarija, 1978 - Revista RascacielosJanuary 13, 2022…Published: January 13, 2022

Tarija illustration 1

What witnesses reported across southern Tarija

The incident unfolded during the late afternoon of 6 May 1978, when residents in communities including Padcaya, Bermejo, Cañas, La Mamora and Mecoya reported seeing an elongated object surrounded by flames or a bright fiery trail moving towards the mountainous Bolivia–Argentina border. Within moments, many witnesses also described hearing a loud explosion that was reportedly audible across a wide area, including parts of neighbouring Argentina.[Revista Rascacielos]revistarascacielos.commecoya el misterio sobre un ovni en tarija 1978Revista RascacielosMecoya: El misterio sobre un OVNI en Tarija, 1978 - Revista RascacielosJanuary 13, 2022…Published: January 13, 2022

What distinguished the Tarija case from many isolated UFO reports was the geographical spread of apparently similar observations. According to geologist Daniel Centeno, who later led the official search, residents from separate communities independently described an object travelling in roughly the same direction before what they believed was an impact. Centeno later remarked that people who had not spoken to one another gave broadly consistent descriptions of the event, making investigators initially believe that a crash site should be identifiable.[Revista Rascacielos]revistarascacielos.commecoya el misterio sobre un ovni en tarija 1978Revista RascacielosMecoya: El misterio sobre un OVNI en Tarija, 1978 - Revista RascacielosJanuary 13, 2022…Published: January 13, 2022

The widespread testimony quickly generated speculation that an aircraft, satellite or unknown vehicle had come down somewhere in the inaccessible mountains near the international border.

What the ground and aerial searches actually found

The strongest evidence in the Tarija case comes not from later rumours but from what investigators actually did—and did not—discover.

Tarija’s mayor assembled an investigative commission led by Daniel Centeno, who had previously worked with Bolivia’s Nuclear Energy Commission. The search included personnel equipped with radiation-detection instruments, reflecting concern that the object might have been a satellite carrying hazardous material or another technological object. Investigators travelled through the reported flight path before mounting expeditions into the suspected impact zone.[Revista Rascacielos]revistarascacielos.commecoya el misterio sobre un ovni en tarija 1978Revista RascacielosMecoya: El misterio sobre un OVNI en Tarija, 1978 - Revista RascacielosJanuary 13, 2022…Published: January 13, 2022

Reaching the area proved exceptionally difficult. In 1978 there were no roads into the rugged mountain terrain where witnesses believed the object had fallen. Search teams spent entire days hiking into remote valleys and repeated the expedition after the first attempt failed to locate anything unusual.[Revista Rascacielos]revistarascacielos.commecoya el misterio sobre un ovni en tarija 1978Revista RascacielosMecoya: El misterio sobre un OVNI en Tarija, 1978 - Revista RascacielosJanuary 13, 2022…Published: January 13, 2022

The investigation later expanded into an aerial survey. A military aircraft flew over the suspected impact region and neighbouring sections of Argentina, searching for the obvious signs expected after a large collision.

Despite these coordinated efforts, investigators reported finding:

  • no impact crater;
  • no wreckage or manufactured debris;
  • no abnormal radiation;
  • no burn pattern consistent with a recent large impact;
  • no identifiable fragments that could be linked to the reported object.

Centeno recalled that investigators did encounter loose rock deposits which some observers believed represented impact debris. He concluded instead that these were ordinary colluvial deposits—natural accumulations of weathered rock on mountain slopes rather than evidence of an explosion. After several months without new findings, the investigation ended without identifying either a crash site or a conventional explanation.[Revista Rascacielos]revistarascacielos.commecoya el misterio sobre un ovni en tarija 1978Revista RascacielosMecoya: El misterio sobre un OVNI en Tarija, 1978 - Revista RascacielosJanuary 13, 2022…Published: January 13, 2022

9:08

UFO Crash Retrieval - The Kalahari UAP Incident // 3D CGI Animation / Unreal Engine 5

Channel: Mac Mave Studios · Views: 12.8M · Uploaded: June 2023 · Length: 9 minutes

Open on YouTube

Why the missing evidence matters

The absence of physical evidence is the central fact that shapes every interpretation of the Tarija incident.

If a large solid object had struck the mountains with sufficient force to produce the explosion described by witnesses, investigators would normally expect to recover at least some combination of:

  • impact damage;
  • metallic fragments;
  • scorched vegetation;
  • displaced earth;
  • measurable debris.

None of these were documented during the official searches.[Revista Rascacielos]revistarascacielos.commecoya el misterio sobre un ovni en tarija 1978Revista RascacielosMecoya: El misterio sobre un OVNI en Tarija, 1978 - Revista RascacielosJanuary 13, 2022…Published: January 13, 2022

This does not prove that witnesses imagined the event. Instead, it creates a mismatch between what observers believed they saw and what investigators later found on the ground.

Several non-exclusive possibilities have therefore remained under discussion:

  • a bright meteor or fireball fragmenting high in the atmosphere;
  • an atmospheric explosion whose apparent location was misjudged by observers;
  • an object travelling beyond the search area rather than impacting nearby;
  • incomplete searches caused by difficult terrain.

Because no recoverable material was ever authenticated, none of these explanations can be confirmed with confidence. Equally, the lack of debris means the stronger claim—that an extraterrestrial spacecraft crashed in Tarija—also remains unsupported.

Tarija illustration 2

The CIA document: evidence of concern, not proof of a crash

One reason the Tarija story continues to attract attention is the existence of a declassified United States intelligence document produced shortly after the event.

The CIA document records reports circulating in May 1978 that an unidentified object had allegedly fallen in Bolivia near the Argentine border and notes conflicting accounts about what had occurred. It demonstrates that the incident reached international reporting channels while events were still unfolding rather than being invented decades later.[CIA]cia.govBOLIVIA REPORTS CONFLICT ON DETAILS OF FALLEN OBJECT | CIA FOIA (foia.cia.govBOLIVIA REPORTS CONFLICT ON DETAILS OF FALLEN OBJECT | CIA FOIA (foia.cia.gov)…

However, the document is frequently overstated in popular retellings.

It does not state that the United States confirmed a UFO crash.

It does not report recovered extraterrestrial technology.

It does not verify that American personnel found wreckage.

Instead, it reflects intelligence reporting on an unresolved event, recording claims requiring confirmation rather than establishing factual conclusions. This distinction is important because later accounts often cite the document as evidence for a recovery operation when its actual contents are considerably more cautious.[CIA]cia.govBOLIVIA REPORTS CONFLICT ON DETAILS OF FALLEN OBJECT | CIA FOIA (foia.cia.govBOLIVIA REPORTS CONFLICT ON DETAILS OF FALLEN OBJECT | CIA FOIA (foia.cia.gov)…

1:21:32

UFO Crash Debris! (Art's Parts) - Jimmy Akin's Mysterious World

Channel: Jimmy Akin · Views: 11.1K · Uploaded: May 2022 · Length: 1 hour 21 minutes

Open on YouTube

Later recovery stories and the missing evidence

As the years passed, the original mystery accumulated additional claims that were largely absent from the earliest reporting.

Among the most common later stories are assertions that:

  • NASA specialists secretly travelled to Tarija;
  • United States military personnel recovered the object;
  • helicopters removed debris before investigators arrived;
  • evidence was deliberately concealed from the public.

These narratives have become embedded in UFO literature and documentaries, but publicly available evidence remains limited. Contemporary reporting confirms that rumours of foreign involvement circulated during the investigation, yet Daniel Centeno himself later stated that stories about NASA personnel evolved from misunderstandings involving flights connected with the United States Embassy rather than confirmed recovery operations.[Revista Rascacielos]revistarascacielos.commecoya el misterio sobre un ovni en tarija 1978Revista RascacielosMecoya: El misterio sobre un OVNI en Tarija, 1978 - Revista RascacielosJanuary 13, 2022…Published: January 13, 2022

A fundamental problem for the recovery hypothesis is that it depends on physical evidence that has never been independently documented. No authenticated photographs of recovered wreckage, laboratory analyses, verified witness documentation of recovered material or official records confirming such an operation have entered the public record.

That absence does not eliminate every possibility, but it prevents recovery claims from moving beyond speculation.

Tarija illustration 3

Why Tarija remains unresolved but unproven

The Tarija incident occupies an unusual position within Bolivia’s UFO history because both believers and sceptics acknowledge important aspects of the case.

Several factors strengthen its historical significance:

  • numerous witnesses across a broad geographical area;
  • contemporary newspaper coverage;
  • official investigative activity;
  • a declassified intelligence document confirming international awareness of the reports.[Revista Rascacielos]revistarascacielos.commecoya el misterio sobre un ovni en tarija 1978Revista RascacielosMecoya: El misterio sobre un OVNI en Tarija, 1978 - Revista RascacielosJanuary 13, 2022…Published: January 13, 2022

At the same time, several factors prevent the case from being regarded as evidence of a crashed extraterrestrial craft:

  • no confirmed impact location;
  • no verified debris;
  • no crater despite organised searches;
  • no authenticated photographs of recovered material;
  • no independently documented chain of custody for any alleged fragments.

For those studying Bolivia’s wider history of UFO reports, Tarija therefore serves as a benchmark case. It demonstrates how a dramatic event with many witnesses can remain historically genuine while its ultimate cause remains unidentified. More than four decades later, the missing physical evidence is still the decisive obstacle: it keeps the incident unresolved, but it also keeps the extraordinary crash claims unproven.

38:29

Somewhere in the Skies | The UFO Crash of Tarija

Channel: Somewhere in the Skies w/ Ryan Sprague · Views: 1.9K · Uploaded: November 2021 · Length: 38 minutes

Open on YouTube

Amazon book picks

Further Reading

Books and field guides related to Did a UFO Really Crash in Tarija?. Use these as the next step if you want deeper reading beyond the article.

Browse more on Amazon: UFO Crash at Roswell UFOs: Generals, Pilots, and Government Officials Go on the Record The UFO Experience

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

eBay marketplace picks

Marketplace Samples

Live-tested eBay searches with available results related to this page.

UsingUSA

Selected fromUFO poster oneBay.co.uk.

Browse more oneBay.co.uk

Example items shown for inspiration; availability and pricing can change. Branchoria may earn a commission if you purchase through outbound eBay links.

Endnotes

1. Source: cia.gov
Title: BOLIVIA REPORTS CONFLICT ON DETAILS OF FALLEN OBJECT | CIA FOIA (foia.cia.gov)
Link:https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/document/0000015258

Source snippet

BOLIVIA REPORTS CONFLICT ON DETAILS OF FALLEN OBJECT | CIA FOIA (foia.cia.gov)...

2. Source: cia.gov
Title: Ask Molly: Did CIA Really Study Psychic Powers?
Link:https://www.cia.gov/stories/story/ask-molly-did-cia-really-study-psychic-powers/

3. Source: cia.gov
Title: BOLIVI A | CIA FOIA (foia.cia.gov)
Link:https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/document/0000312356

4. Source: cia.gov
Link:https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/document/cia-rdp81m00980r001700090013-1

5. Source: cia.gov
Title: (EST PUB DATE) UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECT | CIA FOIA (foia.cia.gov)
Link:https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/document/0000214610

6. Source: cia.gov
Title: AI R FORCE REQUEST TO DECLASSIFY CIA UFO REPORT | CIA FOIA (foia.cia.gov)
Link:https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/document/0000015430

7. Source: cia.gov
Link:https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/document/0000015408

8. Source: cia.gov
Link:https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/document/0000015473

9. Source: cia.gov
Title: FLYIN G SAUCERS | CIA FOIA (foia.cia.gov)
Link:https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/document/0000015343

10. Source: revistarascacielos.com
Title: mecoya el misterio sobre un ovni en tarija 1978
Link:https://www.revistarascacielos.com/2022/01/13/mecoya-el-misterio-sobre-un-ovni-en-tarija-1978/

Source snippet

Revista RascacielosMecoya: El misterio sobre un OVNI en Tarija, 1978 - Revista RascacielosJanuary 13, 2022...

Published: January 13, 2022

Additional References

11. Source: lavozdetarija.com
Link:https://lavozdetarija.com/2024/04/05/segundo-encuentro-internacional-de-ufologia-en-tarija-como-parte-del-programa-abril-en-tarija/

Source snippet

La Voz de TarijaApril 5, 2024 — SEGUNDO ENCUENTRO INTERNACIONAL DE UFOLOGÍA EN TARIJA, COMO PARTE DEL PROGRAMA ABRIL EN TARIJA Por La Voz...

Published: April 5, 2024

12. Source: maestroviejo.blog
Title: el caso ovni de 1978 en bolivia que cayo realmente en tarija
Link:https://maestroviejo.blog/el-caso-ovni-de-1978-en-bolivia-que-cayo-realmente-en-tarija/

Source snippet

maestroviejoFebruary 21, 2026 — EL CASO OVNI DE 1978 EN BOLIVIA: ¿QUÉ CAYÓ REALMENTE EN TARIJA? febrero 21, 2026AVISTAMIENTOS OVNIS, AB...

Published: February 21, 2026

13. Source: justice.gov
Title: Office of Information Policy | WP Co
Link:https://www.justice.gov/oip/wp-co-llc-v-cia-no-22-01138-2024-wl-983328-ddc-mar-7-2024-contreras-j

Source snippet

LLC v. CIA, No. 22-01138, 2024 WL 983328 (D.D.C. Mar. 7, 2024) (Contreras, J.) | United States Department of JusticeMarch 7, 2024 — WP CO...

Published: March 7, 2024

14. Source: ellitoral.com.ar
Title: El extraño OVNI que cayó en Bolivia | El Litoral
Link:https://www.ellitoral.com.ar/sociedad/2026-3-7-21-50-0-el-extrano-ovni-que-cayo-en-bolivia

Source snippet

en plena luz del día, fue visto caer un extraño objeto luminoso de regulares dimensiones en la región fronteriza entre Argent...

15. Source: shunculture.com
Title: Bolivia’s Historic Day
Link:https://shunculture.com/article/may-6-1978-bolivia

Source snippet

May 6, 1978 | ShunCultureSeptember 24, 2024 — BOLIVIA'S HISTORIC DAY: MAY 6, 1978 * Last updated Sep 24, 2024 * Difficulty Beginner * Pos...

Published: May 6, 1978

16. Source: history.navy.mil
Title: Military History and N
Link:https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/research/library/bibliographies-and-research-guides/research-guides/ufo-research-guide.html

Source snippet

Research GuideNovember 14, 2024 — * Terrorism * UFO Research Guide * Guide to United States Naval Administrative Histories of World War I...

Published: November 14, 2024

17. Source: youtube.com
Title: UFO Crash Debris! (Art’s Parts)
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4HWxOel7zw

Source snippet

In Search of Aliens: Mystery of Puma Punku Revealed...

18. Source: youtube.com
Title: UFO Crash Retrieval
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBKYNwC-bjs

Source snippet

UFO Crash Debris! (Art's Parts) - Jimmy Akin's Mysterious World...

19. Source: elperiodico.com.bo
Link:https://elperiodico.com.bo/realizaran-expedicion-al-cerro-el-zaire-donde-supuestamente-se-estrello-un-ovni/

20. Source: ufomagazines.com
Link:https://www.ufomagazines.com/ufo-review-ufo-review-issue-07/