Sighting in Chamalières, August 20, 2011

A witness was on the terrace of their fourth-floor apartment at about 8:15 pm when they looked toward Montjuzet. At cloud level, they saw a flat, oval, dark grey object moving across the sky. No particular noise was heard. The witness took a photograph with a camera, and the object then vanished very quickly. The sighting lasted about 10 seconds. No other witness account was gathered.

The photograph was the central element of the case. Analysis revealed several anomalies: a grid pattern tilted 2° from the vertical, a flaw that did not appear on later photos taken with the same camera; a shadow under the object that did not fit the stated time of the sighting; and technical settings (ISO) very different from those of the camera's other sky photos. GEIPAN rejected the idea of a camera defect, as well as that of an unknown phenomenon disturbing the shot. It also noted that the witness did not provide the photos taken before and after, despite being asked to.

GEIPAN classified the case as A: a very high probability of a hoax. In its view, the picture was a photograph of a photo or a screen showing an object, probably taken from a video documentary, and the sighting story was invented. The witness did not admit to a hoax. The case was published late: in 2011 it was agreed not to publish the conclusion, but in 2012 the witness posted a different conclusion on a forum. GEIPAN therefore made its conclusions public.