José A. Pagán Santos

José A. Pagán Santos was a Puerto Rican pilot who mysteriously disappeared on June 28, 1980, while flying a small Ercoupe aircraft, registration N3808H, from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, to Puerto Rico, accompanied by friend José Maldonado Torres. Nearing Puerto Rico's west coast around 8:00 PM, Pagán Santos issued a frantic Mayday call picked up by Las Mesas, other aircraft, and an Iberia flight, reporting distress and a luminous object that left him disoriented. His father, Lt. José Pagán Jiménez, an Aero Police officer, investigated and noted Torres reported the object, suspecting a cover-up and possible UFO abduction. No wreckage, ELT signal, or explanation was found despite intensive searches, including by Jiménez. The case remains a legendary UFO enigma in aviation history.