Sighting in Saint-Martin-en-Bière, July 21, 2024

Shortly after midnight, a witness standing on their home terrace watched a single white, slightly bluish point of light for about five minutes. It was as bright as a brilliant star or Venus, and lay toward the southwest at an estimated height of around 45°. According to the witness, it moved quickly along a vertical line with intermediate stops, then climbed back up part of the way, shifted sideways by about 10° and returned before disappearing. It flickered intermittently and no sound was heard. A storm was approaching, with wind, lightning and a few drops of rain. The witness's partner also saw the phenomenon but did not want to report it to GEIPAN. The witness filmed the scene, but the video was judged unusable and was not supplied. They experienced the sighting as strange and memorable.

The account was detailed and came with a sketch, giving the time, duration, direction and a description of the movements, so GEIPAN rated the case's consistency as medium. The drone hypothesis appeared the most plausible: the appearance of a mere point of light, the alternation between stationary phases and brief, rapid movements, and the flickering are all compatible with a drone flying at night, at a distance that could not be estimated. Night flights remain prohibited except by exception, and the wind, the storm and the lack of noise prevent anyone from being fully certain, as the witness themself acknowledged. Since the remaining strangeness is moderate under this hypothesis, GEIPAN classified the case as B: probable sighting of a drone in flight.