Boeing 727-2A1 PP-SNG (c/n 21345) in its VASP livery at the time of the UFO/UAP incident in February 1982. Originally established by the state government of Sao Paulo in 1933, VASP frequently ran into political difficulties with the federal government and by the 1980s was struggling with inefficiency and losses.

Following its moment of fame in 1982, PP-SNG continued to serve with VASP, but was leased out to American operators Capitol Air and Arrow Air during 1984-86 before being sold to a new owner in the USA as N327AS. After serving with Alaska Airlines and Sun Country Airlines, it was sold again in 1994 to become N287SC.

VASP’s Flight 169 cost 135 Cruzeiros in 1982, with a scheduled departure from Fortaleza at 0145hr. The service operated seven days a week between Fortaleza and Sao Paulo, with stops at Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Cuiaba, Curitiba, Goiania and Rio de Janeiro. Stops at Altamira, Campinas, Campo Grande, Porto Velho, Rio Branco and Santarem were also made on selected days.

All of Boeing’s 727s were built at Renton, Washington, ‘‘Super 200” PP-SNG (c/n 21345) making its first flight on October 7, 1980. It was delivered to VASP nine days later to become one of 13 used by the airline on its medium-haul routes, and particularly its Economy Night Flights, during 1977-2005.

The pilot in command at the time of the VP169 UFO/UAP incident was Capt Gerson Maciel de Britto, seen here in the cockpit of a VASP 727 shortly afterwards. A highly experienced commercial pilot who had accrued numerous hours on piston and jet types, Britto was fully supported by the airline in the wake of the incident.

Britto in the passenger cabin of a VASP 727 after the incident. In an interview with Jornal Nacional, Britto recalled: “I switched on the landing lights several times ... the only thing I could identify as a response was the sharp approach of the object to the point at which the Brasilia radar had detected something eight miles from us”.