Sighting in Neuves-Maisons, November 2, 1971

One evening, between 7:10 and 7:40 pm, the witness, then six and a half years old, was walking home to their parents after sports training. A friend drew their attention to an object in the sky. The witness saw a circular, saucer-shaped object with two rows of portholes. It seemed to spin on itself as it moved at low altitude, making no sound. It was directly above the street the child had to take to get home. At a crossroads, the witness stopped looking at it, and the object carried on in a straight line. Once at home, the child did not see it again. A change of color was noted near the end of the observation.

Two witnesses were known, but only one contacted the GEIPAN, more than forty years after the events, and was interviewed. The hypothesis of a lost balloon fitted in large part (straight trajectory, silence, low altitude, duration). However, it could not be confirmed: searches found no balloon with the characteristics described (portholes, color, size), and the color change weakens it further. The account is rich in detail, which is surprising given the witness's very young age. Yet the long delay, which can alter memory, and the absence of the second witness limit its reliability. Some important details cannot be checked, and strong evidence does not rule out a lost child's balloon. The GEIPAN therefore classified the case as C: a late testimony that cannot be used for lack of reliable information.