Sighting in Fontenay-le-Fleury, January 28, 2018

At about 2:45 a.m., the witness had got up to care for their sick spouse when an extremely bright glow, seen almost due north through the living-room window, caught their attention. They made out several green lights grouped together in a rosette pattern, along with a green beam that moved in every direction, sweeping the surroundings. The phenomenon switched completely off and on again, and moved to different positions several times. The witness heard no sound, but had never opened the window.

The phenomenon then moved toward the witness, who, frightened, crouched against the living-room wall. When they looked outside again, it had gone. The sighting had lasted between 30 and 45 seconds. No other witness account was collected.

GEIPAN put forward the hypothesis of a drone fitted with LEDs and a laser beam. Recreational drones shown online produce a green laser beam that sweeps in all directions and has a similar thickness to the one described. The small particles seen inside the beam are explained by light diffraction on aerosols or fine particles. Those drones have no rosette, but green LEDs placed at their extremities could create that effect from a distance. However, size estimates based on the testimony and on photographs suggested a drone of about 1 m, such as professional or military types. The nearby training camp reported no operations of any kind that night, and a discreet nocturnal recreational use seemed more likely. The witness may have overestimated the size, or a professional-type drone may have been flown for fun. The testimony was very consistent and reliable. The case is classified B: probably a recreational drone.