People
Francisco Javier Rodriguez
Francisco Javier Rodriguez was the flight mechanic aboard TAE flight JK 297 during the Manises UFO Incident of November 11, 1979. He was the first crew member to alert Captain Javier Leo de Taha and co-pilot Jose Ramon Zarazua Ingore to the presence of two powerful red lights visible to the front left of the aircraft at approximately 23:05 hours.
| Role | Flight mechanic, TAE flight JK 297 |
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Rodriguez's initial observation occurred while the Super Caravelle was cruising over the Mediterranean Sea at 23,000 feet on a flight from Salzburg to Las Palmas with 109 passengers aboard. His warning prompted the captain to contact Barcelona Air Traffic Control and ultimately led to the first recorded emergency landing of a commercial flight due to a UFO encounter at Manises Airport in Valencia.