Sighting in Carcès, 1973

The witness reported in 2008 an event that took place sometime between 1973 and 1976; neither the day nor the month is known. They were walking alone along a country road when they noticed, in a hollow of a field, a white craft hovering a few metres above the ground. No engine noise could be heard.

As the witness moved closer, they saw flashes, followed by an intense light around the craft. It then took off with a noise and climbed rapidly. The spot where it had been hovering was burnt and black, but there was no fire.

The case was only brought to the GEIPAN in 2008, after a television programme. In March 2012, a GEIPAN expert spoke with the witness at length by telephone. Because the exact date is unknown and the witness declined to name the people around them who knew about the event at the time, a serious investigation was not possible. The reliability of a memory more than 35 years old is also open to question. The GEIPAN therefore classified the case C, for insufficient data. It did note, however, that the location lies only 10 km from the Canjuers military camp, the largest firing range in Western Europe, which even then hosted many kinds of military craft.