Sighting in Sainte-Foy-de-Peyrolières, July 8, 2018

Shortly after 11:30 pm, a witness phoned the GEIPAN just minutes after a very brief sighting. They took no photo or video. Another person was present that evening but saw nothing, as everything happened very quickly. Two months later, the witness completed a detailed technical questionnaire.

The whole event lasted about twenty seconds and unfolded in five phases. About a minute after a shooting star passed, five or six very bright points appeared and dropped a short distance in a "cascade" effect, then dimmed. Four aligned points then appeared, continuing on from that effect, and moved slowly downward, drawing closer until they revealed a dark rectangular shape carrying the four points; at the end of this phase the witness made out dark orange hues. The movement then shifted from vertical to horizontal, still slow, and the shape turned triangular before picking up speed. In the fourth phase, which the witness found the strangest, it accelerated blindingly fast, with no noise and no trail, and the witness followed it with their eyes for 1 to 2 seconds. Finally, back to a rectangular shape and moving slowly, it faded into the night until it vanished.

The account, the only one gathered but a very detailed one, was judged consistent. The field investigation, including a reconstruction and a cognitive interview, confirmed its coherence. Only one contradiction was noted: the witness said they had lost sight of the phenomenon for about a second, yet also said they never lost it. Seven hypotheses were examined: a train of satellites, fragmentation during atmospheric re-entry, fireworks, an aircraft, several aircraft flying in formation, retinal persistence, and a drone show. The most consistent, aircraft in formation with their lights on, was ruled out: the angular distance covered (90° to 110° in 4 seconds) implied close proximity, yet no noise was heard despite a tailwind; radar tracks showed fewer aircraft and a different spatial distribution; and the aeronautical expert considered night formation flying improbable. The CNOA radar data could not be obtained in time, and the data from the Blagnac air traffic control centre covered a time window possibly slightly too late. The GEIPAN classified the case as D: a phenomenon of unexplained nature and origin.