Sighting in Domont, March 18, 2013

A witness watched five orange and white points of light for more than an hour above a building opposite their home. Through binoculars, they described the phenomenon as a burning orange. They called the gendarmerie to show them what they were seeing, and the glowing balls could be seen appearing and disappearing. The witness also took several photographs and later posted them online.

The GEIPAN investigation tested the idea that the photos showed aircraft landing, seen head-on, which the series of pictures strongly suggested. Analysis of one image, compared with Google Earth, gave an azimuth of 266° for the distant light source with the greatest angular height. According to aeronautical charts, the approach to runway 27R at Roissy-CDG follows exactly that azimuth. A line drawn between the threshold of that runway and the witness passes right between the two buildings, and extending the alignment of three of the lights to the horizon lands at the same spot. Other photos similarly show departures from runways 09R/27L and 08L/26R, including a light aircraft taking off well before the end of the runway.

GEIPAN classified the case as A: the witness had seen and photographed several airliners on approach to or taking off from Roissy-CDG. The airport's runways can be used simultaneously for arrivals and departures, which accounts for several aircraft being visible at once.