Sighting in Niedersoultzbach, October 7, 2013

Around 2:15 p.m., a witness driving out of a village saw a large, pale, elongated shape in the sky that seemed motionless. They watched it for about three minutes, until the terrain hid it from view. Two minutes later, they stopped and got out of the car to try to find it again, without success. By their estimate, the shape was less than 3 kilometres away at an altitude of 200 to 300 metres, and it looked about 10 centimetres long at arm's length. The sky was covered by a low cloud with a ceiling below 400 metres. Only one account was collected.

The investigation linked the sighting to the passage of a zeppelin. At the end of October it was moved to Friedrichshafen, Germany, for winter storage, and the sighting location lies on the direct route from its departure base at Pontoise-Corneilles en Vexin. Its shape and white colour match the description. At 75 metres long and 19 metres wide, it is consistent with the witness's estimate, which corresponds to a distance of about 750 metres. Its balloon is filled with helium and its propulsion is electric, which explains the lack of noise. Its maximum speed of 120 km/h can create an impression of stillness, especially as the driver was travelling in the same direction as the zeppelin. GEIPAN classified the case as B: probable sighting of a zeppelin.