Type: Eyewitness Testimony
Source: Óscar Santa María Huertas
Santa María's first-person account is the principal source for the detailed narrative of the La Joya encounter. He states that the event occurred at approximately 7:15 a.m. on April 11, 1980, while approximately 1,800 personnel were assembled at the base. He reports that several pilots observed a balloon-like object before he was ordered to intercept it in a Sukhoi Su-22. Santa María states that he fired 64 rounds from the aircraft's 30-mm cannon at close range, saw no apparent damage, and then pursued the object through rapid climbs, changes of direction and other manoeuvres before returning because of fuel limitations.