DOUARNENEZ (29) 18.11.2012

On 18 November 2012 at about 20:30, a witness at Douarnenez saw a stationary light in the sky, first with the naked eye and then through binoculars. It scintillated green and red, had a black center and varied in brightness. The witness changed position, showed it to several acquaintances and contacted the gendarmerie. A patrol attended and also saw it. The gendarmes alerted the western en-route air-traffic control center, CRNA-O, near Brest. A controller's report stated that neither the controller nor an aircraft crew approaching Quimper had seen anything unusual that day. It also reported no military activity in the area that evening and no unusual detections by the Lanvéoc and Landivisiau primary radars. Despite local inquiries, only 1 witness account was collected. The witness watched the stationary, color-changing glow toward the southeast for a long time. A fixed sky light suggests an astronomical object, with color changes potentially caused by scintillation. Conditions included a light westerly wind and very humid air. However, there was no very bright celestial object in that direction; Jupiter was due east. The air-traffic report, referred to as “CNRA” in this part of the source, added information about the UAP's elevation and the absence of visual or radar detection by the approaching aircraft crew and the primary radars. It also reiterated the absence of military activity. GEIPAN considers the objective findings consistent with a probable helicopter sighting, class B. The phenomenon has all the characteristics of a helicopter seen at night from a considerable distance, possibly a Sécurité civile (Civil Protection) helicopter on a night visual-flight-rules mission near Quimper Pluguffan Airport, in the reported viewing direction. GEIPAN assesses the account's descriptive quality as medium because it is too brief, imprecise and missing essential data. Its evidential support is rather weak because there is only 1 account and no photograph. The observation is low in strangeness because the UAP's appearance and behavior are readily characterized. GEIPAN classifies the case B: a probable Civil Protection helicopter approaching Quimper Pluguffan Airport.