Sighting in Coulaines, May 30, 2012

From their balcony, starting at around 9 p.m., the witness noticed a dark, motionless object at low altitude. It gave off irregular flashes. The object stayed in the same spot until the witness went to bed, after taking the time to film it with their mobile phone.

The GEIPAN investigation relied on three objective factors: the weather, with little or no wind, which suited the use of a tethered balloon; lighting that complied with the regulations for tethered aircraft; and the presence of ground suitable for operating one in the direction where the object was visible. The testimony was considered solid thanks to the video, even though essential data were missing (azimuth, estimates of size and height), some of which could be partly reconstructed from the footage. The object's behavior was judged ordinary, so the case was rated as having little strangeness. The object was very probably a tethered balloon, and the case is classified B.