Sighting in Wissembourg, August 9, 2016

Shortly after half past midnight, a witness saw two white lights in the sky that seemed to chase one another above a layer of cloud. They followed circular paths at times and straight paths at others, and appeared to come from above the clouds. The witness compared the motion to a game of chase and follow that kept repeating, with a slight offset on each pass. The lights then went out all at once. Only one account was collected, and the date and the municipality given on the questionnaire had to be corrected during the investigation.

GEIPAN favoured the explanation of a skytracer, meaning a light spot sent up from the ground and reflected by the atmosphere. The lights chasing each other, the fast movements and the repetitive motion fit this kind of misidentification, and the overcast sky makes it more likely. The witness objected that the movements did not resemble anything they knew and that the light came from above the clouds. However, movements vary with the equipment used, and when no beam is visible the light can seem to come from higher than the clouds. The witness's description of a somewhat diffuse patch points the same way.

An open-air party with a band had been held the previous evening about 14 km to the south-west, in the direction of the sighting. It was not possible to find out whether a skytracer was used there. The explanation therefore remains probable but not certain, and the case is classed B: probable misidentification of a skytracer.