Sighting in Garches, October 14, 2021

Shortly before 4:00 p.m., a witness noticed a light in the sky and took it for the searchlight of a helicopter. The object climbed toward the north without moving fast, and it made no sound. The witness thought they could see a cable or pole hanging from it. The light stayed equally bright, and they hoped to make out the object's outline once the light changed direction. They shot two videos.

When they watched the footage later, they noticed that one of the videos showed a very white light source, like a flame coming out of a nozzle, behind a darker circular shape that seemed to spin rapidly clockwise.

GEIPAN rated the consistency of the case as good: there was only one witness, but the account was complete and both videos were used in the analysis. The investigation concluded that the witness had seen a novelty balloon, possibly made of Mylar (a highly reflective polyester film), probably lost by its owner and drifting with the wind. The conclusion rests on the white colour visible in the videos, which is common for balloons; the strong brightness, caused by sunlight reflecting off its surface; movement in the direction of the prevailing wind; constant visibility, which shows the reflected light went in all directions; and the presence of a string or rod used to hold it. The case was classified A.