UFO sightings by place
UFO sightings in Pays de la Loire: 183 reports
SkyUnknown lists 183 UFO sightings in Pays de la Loire, from 1947 to 2026, drawn from official records: GEIPAN (CNES). The busiest year was 2008, with 14 cases.
Of the 183 cases with a conclusion from their source, 63% are explained (with certainty or probably), 33% lack the data to conclude, and 7 remain unidentified. The most frequent identified causes: sky lanterns (23); aircraft (15); satellites (8).
Most frequently named places: Nantes (9), Le Mans (4), Angers (4), Cholet (4), and Bourgneuf-en-Retz (3).
- cases
- 183
- unidentified
- 7
- period
- 1947–2026
- source
- 1
Map of the cases
Notable cases
The most complete records: account of the sighting, conclusion of the official investigation.
- UnexplainedOctober 26, 2011
Lamnay
Sarthe, Pays de la Loire, France
GEIPAN (CNES)
- UnexplainedNovember 21, 2010
Le Mans
Sarthe, Pays de la Loire, France
GEIPAN (CNES)
- UnexplainedJuly 4, 1997
Les Sables-d'Olonne
Vendée, Pays de la Loire, France
GEIPAN (CNES)
- UnexplainedMay 3, 1997
La Meilleraye-de-Bretagne
Loire-Atlantique, Pays de la Loire, France
GEIPAN (CNES)
- UnexplainedMarch 3, 1989
Mayet
Sarthe, Pays de la Loire, France
GEIPAN (CNES)
- UnexplainedJanuary 20, 1980
Le Loroux-Bottereau
Loire-Atlantique, Pays de la Loire, France
GEIPAN (CNES)
- UnexplainedDecember 15, 1979
Nantes
Loire-Atlantique, Pays de la Loire, France
GEIPAN (CNES)
- ExplainedApril 7, 2026
Vernoil-le-Fourrier
Maine-et-Loire, Pays de la Loire, France
→ Satellites
GEIPAN (CNES)
- Probably explainedJuly 17, 2025
La Haie-Fouassière
Loire-Atlantique, Pays de la Loire, France
→ Satellites
GEIPAN (CNES)
By department
Other regions
Identified causes
For cases explained with certainty or probably.
All sightings
| Date | Place | Status | Identified cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 7, 2026 | Vernoil-le-Fourrier · Maine-et-Loire | Explained | Satellites |
| July 17, 2025 | La Haie-Fouassière · Loire-Atlantique | Probably explained | Satellites |
| March 22, 2025 | Beaumont-sur-Sarthe · Sarthe | Explained | Reflections and photo artefacts |
| December 22, 2024 | La Turballe · Loire-Atlantique | Explained | Meteors and fireballs |
| December 2, 2024 | Foussais-Payré · Vendée | Explained | Planets |
| March 24, 2024 | Le Mans · Sarthe | Insufficient data | |
| August 24, 2023 | Batz-sur-Mer · Loire-Atlantique | Explained | Ground lights and lasers |
| March 27, 2023 | Mont-Saint-Jean · Sarthe | Insufficient data | |
| July 14, 2022 | La Montagne · Loire-Atlantique | Probably explained | Balloons |
| December 4, 2021 | Bouguenais · Loire-Atlantique | Insufficient data | |
| September 12, 2021 | Saint-Jean-de-Boiseau · Loire-Atlantique | Probably explained | Sky lanterns |
| August 26, 2021 | Sainte-Gemme-la-Plaine · Vendée | Probably explained | Meteors and fireballs |
| November 22, 2020 | Nantes · Loire-Atlantique | Probably explained | Sky lanterns |
| May 17, 2020 | Olonne-sur-Mer · Vendée | Probably explained | Sky lanterns |
| October 5, 2019 | Les Epesses · Vendée | Explained | Other explanations |
| June 30, 2019 | Angers · Maine-et-Loire | Insufficient data | |
| May 31, 2019 | Aron · Mayenne | Explained | Space station (ISS) |
| March 28, 2019 | Aron · Mayenne | Insufficient data | |
| January 2, 2019 | Teloché · Sarthe | Explained | Stars |
| October 9, 2018 | Ancenis · Loire-Atlantique | Probably explained | Meteors and fireballs |
| August 21, 2018 | Les Moutiers-en-Retz · Loire-Atlantique | Probably explained | Aircraft |
| December 3, 2017 | Le Lude · Sarthe | Probably explained | Reflections and photo artefacts |
| October 31, 2017 | Toutlemonde · Maine-et-Loire | Explained | Stars |
| July 23, 2017 | Loire-Authion · Maine-et-Loire | Probably explained | Birds, insects, nature |
| July 1, 2017 | Beaulieu-sous-la-Roche · Vendée | Explained | Aircraft |
| January 21, 2017 | Ancinnes · Sarthe | Explained | Aircraft |
| January 13, 2017 | La Ferrière · Vendée | Explained | Aircraft |
| November 24, 2016 | Cholet · Maine-et-Loire | Probably explained | Aircraft |
| July 3, 2016 | Treize-Septiers · Vendée | Probably explained | Sky lanterns |
| June 6, 2016 | Saint-Corneille · Sarthe | Insufficient data | |
| January 24, 2016 | Beaumont-sur-Sarthe · Sarthe | Probably explained | Ground lights and lasers |
| January 1, 2016 | Talmont-Saint-Hilaire · Vendée | Probably explained | Sky lanterns |
| November 27, 2015 | Les Herbiers · Vendée | Probably explained | Ground lights and lasers |
| October 7, 2015 | Évron · Mayenne | Explained | Stars |
| September 20, 2015 | Ballon · Sarthe | Explained | Reflections and photo artefacts |
| August 28, 2015 | Bessay · Vendée | Probably explained | Sky lanterns |
| August 15, 2015 | Doué-la-Fontaine · Maine-et-Loire | Probably explained | Sky lanterns |
| July 21, 2015 | Brains · Loire-Atlantique | Probably explained | Satellites |
| July 3, 2015 | Couëron · Loire-Atlantique | Explained | Satellites |
| June 25, 2015 | Nantes · Loire-Atlantique | Explained | Satellites |
| April 18, 2015 | Ruaudin · Sarthe | Probably explained | Sky lanterns |
| February 17, 2015 | Tuffé · Sarthe | Explained | Meteors and fireballs |
| December 28, 2014 | Pornic · Loire-Atlantique | Probably explained | Aircraft |
| December 25, 2014 | Mouchamps · Vendée | Probably explained | Sky lanterns |
| September 12, 2014 | Chaudefonds-sur-Layon · Maine-et-Loire | Explained | Optical phenomena |
| September 7, 2014 | Pellouailles-les-Vignes · Maine-et-Loire | Probably explained | Sky lanterns |
| August 20, 2014 | Saint-Georges-de-Pointindoux · Vendée | Probably explained | Sky lanterns |
| July 20, 2014 | Fontevraud-l'Abbaye · Maine-et-Loire | Probably explained | Sky lanterns |
| July 9, 2014 | Le Pouliguen · Loire-Atlantique | Probably explained | Meteors and fireballs |
| June 13, 2014 | Cholet · Maine-et-Loire | Explained | Satellites |
| June 12, 2014 | Angers · Maine-et-Loire | Probably explained | Aircraft |
| January 1, 2014 | La Rabatelière · Vendée | Probably explained | Sky lanterns |
| October 30, 2013 | Sablé-sur-Sarthe · Sarthe | Insufficient data | |
| October 20, 2013 | Nantes · Loire-Atlantique | Explained | Stars |
| August 13, 2013 | Nantes · Loire-Atlantique | Insufficient data | |
| August 5, 2013 | Notre-Dame-des-Landes · Loire-Atlantique | Explained | Space station (ISS) |
| March 24, 2013 | Saint-Jean-de-Boiseau · Loire-Atlantique | Insufficient data | |
| February 2, 2013 | Pirmil · Sarthe | Explained | Aircraft |
| September 11, 2012 | L'Île-d'Yeu · Vendée | Insufficient data | |
| August 15, 2012 | Thorigné-d'Anjou · Maine-et-Loire | Probably explained | Aircraft |
| August 8, 2012 | Challans · Vendée | Probably explained | Satellites |
| June 30, 2012 | Sainte-Luce-sur-Loire · Loire-Atlantique | Explained | Sky lanterns |
| May 30, 2012 | Coulaines · Sarthe | Probably explained | Balloons |
| May 12, 2012 | Saint-Maixent-sur-Vie · Vendée | Explained | Satellites |
| January 9, 2012 | La Montagne · Loire-Atlantique | Probably explained | Ground lights and lasers |
| October 26, 2011 | Lamnay · Sarthe | Unexplained | |
| October 7, 2011 | Couëron · Loire-Atlantique | Insufficient data | |
| April 16, 2011 | Treillières · Loire-Atlantique | Probably explained | Sky lanterns |
| February 26, 2011 | Nieul-sur-l'Autise · Vendée | Insufficient data | |
| December 27, 2010 | Geneston · Loire-Atlantique | Probably explained | Aircraft |
| November 21, 2010 | Le Mans · Sarthe | Unexplained | |
| November 2010 | Château-Thébaud · Loire-Atlantique | Probably explained | Drones |
| September 24, 2010 | Sargé-lès-le-Mans · Sarthe | Explained | Balloons |
| August 28, 2010 | La Chapelle-Saint-Aubin · Sarthe | Probably explained | Sky lanterns |
| August 5, 2010 | Saint-Jean-de-Monts · Vendée | Insufficient data | |
| July 11, 2010 | La Bohalle · Maine-et-Loire | Explained | Sky lanterns |
| July 6, 2010 | Saint-Rémy-la-Varenne · Maine-et-Loire | Explained | Space station (ISS) |
| June 20, 2010 | Le Plessis-Grammoire · Maine-et-Loire | Explained | Sky lanterns |
| June 7, 2010 | Nantes · Loire-Atlantique | Probably explained | Aircraft |
| December 3, 2009 | Marigné-Laillé · Sarthe | Insufficient data | |
| November 12, 2009 | Changé · Sarthe | Probably explained | Balloons |
| September 24, 2009 | Châteaubriant · Loire-Atlantique | Insufficient data | |
| September 21, 2009 | La Roche-sur-Yon · Vendée | Insufficient data | |
| September 13, 2009 | Chahaignes · Sarthe | Probably explained | Aircraft |
| August 15, 2009 | Pornichet · Loire-Atlantique | Probably explained | Sky lanterns |
| August 2009 | Villiers-Charlemagne · Mayenne | Insufficient data | |
| July 19, 2009 | Piriac-sur-Mer · Loire-Atlantique | Insufficient data | |
| July 14, 2009 | Piriac-sur-Mer · Loire-Atlantique | Explained | Sky lanterns |
| July 2, 2009 | La Roche-sur-Yon · Vendée | Insufficient data | |
| June 15, 2009 | Chemillé · Maine-et-Loire | Probably explained | Meteors and fireballs |
| May 22, 2009 | Montaigu · Vendée | Explained | Space station (ISS) |
| March 17, 2009 | L'Île-d'Yeu · Vendée | Explained | Space station (ISS) |
| February 5, 2009 | Saint-Nazaire · Loire-Atlantique | Insufficient data | |
| August 15, 2008 | Saint-Nazaire · Loire-Atlantique | Insufficient data | |
| June 22, 2008 | Saint-Sauveur-de-Landemont · Maine-et-Loire | Explained | Sky lanterns |
| May 30, 2008 | La Chapelle-sur-Erdre · Loire-Atlantique | Probably explained | |
| May 16, 2008 | Ruaudin · Sarthe | Insufficient data | |
| May 7, 2008 | Juigné-des-Moutiers · Loire-Atlantique | Insufficient data | |
| May 7, 2008 | Montoir-de-Bretagne · Loire-Atlantique | Probably explained | Re-entries |
| May 6, 2008 | Saint-Georges-du-Bois · Maine-et-Loire | Insufficient data | |
| May 1, 2008 | Barbâtre · Vendée | Probably explained | Sky lanterns |
| May 2008 | Dompierre-sur-Yon · Vendée | Insufficient data | |
| May 1, 2008 | Montaigu · Vendée | Probably explained | Sky lanterns |
| April 29, 2008 | Vallet · Loire-Atlantique | Insufficient data | |
| April 23, 2008 | Pornichet · Loire-Atlantique | Probably explained | Reflections and photo artefacts |
| April 20, 2008 | Pornichet · Loire-Atlantique | Insufficient data | |
| April 2008 | Laval · Mayenne | Insufficient data | |
| November 26, 2007 | Les Essarts · Vendée | Explained | Aircraft |
| August 28, 2007 | Nantes · Loire-Atlantique | Probably explained | Reflections and photo artefacts |
| April 15, 2007 | Le Croisic · Loire-Atlantique | Explained | |
| October 31, 2006 | Mortagne-sur-Sèvre · Vendée | Explained | Ground lights and lasers |
| August 12, 2006 | Saint-Jean-de-Monts · Vendée | Insufficient data | |
| June 25, 2005 | L'Épine · Vendée | Insufficient data | |
| April 7, 2003 | Angles · Vendée | Probably explained | |
| October 16, 2002 | 46.26°, -3.35° · Vendée | Probably explained | Re-entries |
| September 2, 2002 | Nantes · Loire-Atlantique | Insufficient data | |
| March 4, 2000 | La Garnache · Vendée | Insufficient data | |
| July 25, 1999 | Malville · Loire-Atlantique | Probably explained | |
| August 31, 1998 | Jard-sur-Mer · Vendée | Insufficient data | |
| July 21, 1997 | La Chapelle-Saint-Florent · Maine-et-Loire | Probably explained | Aircraft |
| July 4, 1997 | Les Sables-d'Olonne · Vendée | Unexplained | |
| May 3, 1997 | La Meilleraye-de-Bretagne · Loire-Atlantique | Unexplained | |
| March 11, 1997 | Pouancé · Maine-et-Loire | Probably explained | |
| October 30, 1996 | Angers · Maine-et-Loire | Insufficient data | |
| April 24, 1995 | Saint-Sylvain-d'Anjou · Maine-et-Loire | Insufficient data | |
| July 31, 1994 | Jard-sur-Mer · Vendée | Explained | |
| June 11, 1994 | Le Pellerin · Loire-Atlantique | Probably explained | Aircraft |
| September 11, 1993 | Bourgneuf-en-Retz · Loire-Atlantique | Probably explained | Ground lights and lasers |
| August 7, 1993 | Château-Gontier · Mayenne | Probably explained | |
| May 17, 1993 | Le Mans · Sarthe | Insufficient data | |
| March 2, 1993 | Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie · Vendée | Explained | |
| February 23, 1993 | Le Mans · Sarthe | Probably explained | |
| May 26, 1992 | Le Boupère · Vendée | Insufficient data | |
| November 25, 1990 | Nort-sur-Erdre · Loire-Atlantique | Explained | Ground lights and lasers |
| August 19, 1990 | Lassay-les-Châteaux · Mayenne | Probably explained | Fireworks and flares |
| 1990 | L'Île-d'Olonne · Vendée | Insufficient data | |
| June 28, 1989 | Les Sables-d'Olonne · Vendée | Probably explained | |
| March 3, 1989 | Mayet · Sarthe | Unexplained | |
| December 4, 1988 | Saint-Philbert-de-Grand-Lieu · Loire-Atlantique | Insufficient data | |
| June 1986 | Pré-en-Pail · Mayenne | Insufficient data | |
| February 21, 1985 | Bais · Mayenne | Probably explained | |
| August 31, 1984 | Coulaines · Sarthe | Insufficient data | |
| June 10, 1982 | Nantes Château-Bougon · Loire-Atlantique | Probably explained | |
| February 1, 1982 | Saint-Herblain · Loire-Atlantique | Insufficient data | |
| September 5, 1981 | Pontvallain · Sarthe | Explained | |
| October 31, 1980 | Le Loroux-Bottereau · Loire-Atlantique | Probably explained | |
| October 30, 1980 | Couëron · Loire-Atlantique | Explained | |
| April 21, 1980 | Le Pellerin · Loire-Atlantique | Insufficient data | |
| March 25, 1980 | Fontevraud-l'Abbaye · Maine-et-Loire | Probably explained | Planets |
| February 24, 1980 | Les Sables-d'Olonne · Vendée | Explained | |
| January 27, 1980 | Fay-de-Bretagne · Loire-Atlantique | Probably explained | |
| January 20, 1980 | Le Loroux-Bottereau · Loire-Atlantique | Unexplained | |
| January 12, 1980 | Le Croisic · Loire-Atlantique | Explained | |
| January 5, 1980 | Bourgneuf-en-Retz · Loire-Atlantique | Probably explained | |
| December 15, 1979 | Nantes · Loire-Atlantique | Unexplained | |
| September 8, 1979 | Noirmoutier · Vendée | Insufficient data | |
| July 16, 1979 | Le Pouliguen · Loire-Atlantique | Explained | Moon |
| July 10, 1979 | Cholet · Maine-et-Loire | Probably explained | |
| June 10, 1979 | Challain-la-Potherie · Maine-et-Loire | Insufficient data | |
| June 8, 1979 | Bourgneuf-en-Retz · Loire-Atlantique | Insufficient data | |
| January 2, 1979 | Noyant-la-Gravoyère · Maine-et-Loire | Insufficient data | |
| November 21, 1978 | Marolles-lès-Saint-Calais · Sarthe | Explained | |
| November 6, 1978 | Mareuil-sur-Lay-Dissais · Vendée | Insufficient data | |
| May 26, 1978 | Vibraye · Sarthe | Insufficient data | |
| May 6, 1978 | Beaufort-en-Vallée · Maine-et-Loire | Probably explained | |
| April 29, 1978 | Fontenay le Comte · Loire-Atlantique | Insufficient data | |
| March 1, 1978 | Saumur · Maine-et-Loire | Insufficient data | |
| December 20, 1977 | Pouancé · Maine-et-Loire | Insufficient data | |
| December 18, 1977 | Sainte-Cérotte · Sarthe | Explained | Moon |
| December 17, 1977 | Carquefou · Loire-Atlantique | Probably explained | |
| November 26, 1977 | Sainte-Cérotte · Sarthe | Insufficient data | |
| October 8, 1977 | Saint-Mars-d'Outillé · Sarthe | Probably explained | |
| October 2, 1977 | Sarthe | Explained | |
| April 29, 1977 | Angers · Maine-et-Loire | Insufficient data | |
| January 14, 1977 | La Bazoge · Sarthe | Insufficient data | |
| 1977 | Pouzauges · Vendée | Insufficient data | |
| October 5, 1976 | Château-Gontier · Mayenne | Insufficient data | |
| July 2, 1976 | Cholet · Maine-et-Loire | Insufficient data | |
| February 9, 1976 | Vendée | Explained | Moon |
| January 24, 1976 | Chantonay · Vendée | Probably explained | |
| November 2, 1974 | Sougé-le-Ganelon · Sarthe | Insufficient data | |
| October 8, 1969 | Nantes · Loire-Atlantique | Insufficient data | |
| August 1947 | Liez · Vendée | Insufficient data |
The figures on this page are computed from the official records cited on each case. See sources and method