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Sighting in Hauteville-Lompnes, December 13, 1972

Ain, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France

Sighting on December 13, 1972 in Hauteville-Lompnes (Ain, France). GEIPAN could not reach a conclusion for lack of sufficient information (class C).

What happened

A witness reported two old sightings to the GEIPAN in June 2009. The first took place on the night of 13 December 1972, at about 11:45 pm. Two people were driving when a round, luminous object appeared in the sky above the town. It was yellowish-white with a bluish tinge. It travelled in a straight line at very high speed from south to north, then disappeared behind the horizon. The witnesses heard no particular noise during the brief sighting, and no other testimony was collected.

The witness also described a second sighting, on the night of 23 to 24 August 1985: a flash of light seen from a boat.

According to the GEIPAN, the 1972 case is moderately strange because of its speed and its "phosphorescent" type of brightness. However, there is no independent testimony and no cross-checking, so no conclusion can be drawn. The case is classified C, insufficient data. The 1985 sighting most likely corresponds to a bolide and, taken on its own, would be classified B.

Account rewritten by SkyUnknown from the investigation report published by GEIPAN (CNES). The original text and case documents are on the official record.

Date
December 13, 1972
Location
Hauteville-Lompnes · town centre
Type of sighting
From the ground
Source classification
C

Sources

Summary written by SkyUnknown from the facts published by the source.