Sighting in L'Isle-d'Abeau, April 25, 2024

The witness was driving on the motorway at about 110 km/h, heading back toward Paris near Lyon-Saint-Exupéry airport. They noticed a deep black object, which they first took for a jet aircraft. It was crossing the sky very quickly from right to left, roughly one kilometre ahead of the car and at an estimated altitude of 200 metres.

Less than five seconds later, after a slight turn to the left, the object began a spectacular climb and gained height rapidly. What struck the witness was the speed of its movements and how fast it climbed, particularly as they heard no noise at all.

The GEIPAN investigation rated the case's consistency as medium: a single witness, a complete account and no photograph. A radar record supplied by the Armée de l'Air et de l'Espace (CAPCODA) matched the trajectory described at the time of the event. It showed a fighter aircraft flying under uncontrolled visual rules (IFF code 0300) that pulled up before switching to military control (IFF code 3677), which fits the rapid climb the witness reported. The lack of noise was probably due to the sound environment inside a car travelling at 110 km/h combined with a light wind that did not carry sound. The absence of a sonic boom may mean the aircraft had already reached supersonic speed, or that it would do so after climbing. GEIPAN classified the case as A: a fighter aircraft in a rapid pull-up before being taken under military control.