Sighting in Meaux, June 1989

On Monday 12 June 1989, the owner of a wheat field noticed an area about 25 metres long and 3 metres wide where the wheat was yellowed and flattened, with some stalks even torn out. At the centre of the mark there was a hole roughly 10 cm across and 20 cm deep, along with a furrow in the ground running along the axis of the mark.

Several explanations were put forward. Lightning was mentioned, but the unauthorised landing of a hot-air balloon was considered more likely, even though all air activity was banned in that area at the time by a prefectural order because of the Le Bourget air show. SEPRA favoured this latter hypothesis. GEIPAN classified the case as B (probably identified): it was a case of flattened wheat in a field.