Sighting in Montpellier, July 22, 2013

A single witness saw a bright object race across the sky at very high speed and without making any noise, at around 6:15 p.m. They described it as silvery and bulging in shape, like a boater hat. Its approximate path ran from southeast to northwest, in an area crossed by air traffic from Montpellier-Fréjorgues airport. The sighting lasted only two to three seconds, and the witness provided no sketch.

The oddity of the case lies in the object's speed. If it crossed a 60° field of view in 3 seconds while 200 m away, its speed was already around 270 km/h. It could also have been a small object carried by the wind at 15 or 20 m, but the witness would then have greatly misjudged its distance. The weather record showed a south to south-westerly wind of about 18 km/h, dying down, which could just about fit with that explanation.

Further investigation would have added little new information. GEIPAN classified the case as C because precise information and corroborating evidence were lacking.