Sighting in Paris, December 1, 2012

At around 5 p.m., a witness noticed a gray object hanging motionless in the sky over Paris. They described it as triangular, but also as resembling a spinning top, with a sharp point at the front and a cross-like shape at the center. The witness heard no sound and saw no smoke. The object then began to drift slowly, as if carried by the wind, staying at the same altitude throughout. The witness then saw several flashing red lights lined up at the center of the craft. They took a photograph during the sighting. No other witness account was collected.

The investigation relied on several objective elements: the object moved in the direction of the wind, its shape and color matched existing novelty balloon models, and the estimated size and distance were consistent with that explanation. GEIPAN concluded that the phenomenon observed and photographed was probably a novelty balloon shaped like a fighter jet, fitted with LEDs and carried by the wind. The case was classified B, probably identified.