Sighting in Avignon, July 3, 2021

During the night of 2 to 3 July 2021, the witness was in their courtyard watching the sky, something they do every day. They noticed a dark grey to black object shaped like a flat "V" moving from west to east and passing directly overhead. Having a laser with them, they aimed the beam at the object and saw the light "crackle" on contact, as though the surface were covered in honeycomb-like cells. They followed it eastward; it held a constant altitude and steady speed. After roughly 300 to 400 metres, it made a smooth, controlled U-turn and came back toward the witness. Still pointing the laser at it, the witness felt strong apprehension and weakness in their legs. The object slowed above them, almost hovering, then suddenly accelerated westward until it disappeared.

The witness added that over the three previous nights they had seen a luminous phenomenon to the south, an object that seemed to grow gradually while making slight movements. They also described a lingering feeling of being watched. Theirs was the only account collected.

A fixed-wing "flying wing" drone was considered as a possible explanation because of the V shape, and the area is strictly closed to drone flights, especially at night. Without angular data, the object's distance and size could not be estimated, and the laser's long range (5,000 to 8,000 m) gives no help on distance. The laser's interaction with the surface and a halo around the object, which made its outline visible, suggest the phenomenon was real and its shape correctly perceived. However, the case's consistency is low: a single witness, no angular data, and no photo or video. GEIPAN classified it C, as the data were insufficient to reach a conclusion.