Sighting in Ollioules, October 14, 1981

Between 2:30 and 2:45 pm, two witnesses saw a cylindrical object in the sky, the color of tin plate or aluminum, reflecting the sun's rays. It moved silently and stayed in view for about a minute. The witnesses noticed no wing or fin, and they believed the object was close to them.

The case was first classified D and was later reexamined by GEIPAN. Its strangeness was rated moderate and its consistency good, though the two witnesses were not independent of each other. The investigation concluded it was probably a misidentified aircraft. Given the positions of the witnesses, the aircraft and the sun, only the fuselage would have reflected sunlight: one wing was hidden and the other showed only its edge. An approach corridor to Marseille airport runs just north of the observation site, in an orientation consistent with the object's path. Not recognizing what they saw, the witnesses may well have misjudged its real distance. A weather balloon was also considered, but a local radiosonde showed winds blowing against the object's direction of travel. The case is classified B.