Sighting in Mauguio (34) 17.03.1997 T1, March 17, 1997

In the evening, the witness saw a glow moving silently across the deep sky, changing color as it went. The account gives no reliable detail on the time, the duration or the position in the sky.

The gendarmerie collected this testimony. They were investigating after a regional press article about a phenomenon pilots of airliners had reported that morning, and were looking for further witnesses. GEIPAN had first classified a group of testimonies, this one included, as D. A re-examination showed that they described four separate observations made at different times, not a single phenomenon.

For this witness, GEIPAN considers that the observation strongly suggests a mistaken identification of a satellite, and that it is only slightly strange. The testimony's consistency is medium to low because of the lack of precision, but that is enough to reach a conclusion. The case is classified B: probable observation of a satellite.