MONTIVILLIERS (76) 22.11.2012

On 22 November 2012 at about 21:15, a witness noticed a bright, stationary light in an overcast sky. At about 21:24, he saw it moving slowly and horizontally toward Fontenay. His mother also saw the stationary, searchlight-like light, but no flashing lights. It disappeared behind house roofs. No other accounts were collected. The gendarmerie made extensive inquiries with military air-traffic control, nearby police stations, Octeville airport and Météo-France. It favored an aircraft arriving from Lyon to land at Le Havre-Octeville, approaching the runway from the northeast, at an oblique angle into the southerly wind described by the source as “three-quarter facing”. The supplied radar tracks did not show that aircraft, but covered only an area extending less than 10 km west of Montivilliers. An aircraft arriving from the southeast would pass through the LHO navigation fix at Mannevillette, well north of that plotted area: LHO IAF, 49°35′51.1″ N, 000°10′51.8″ E. It would have skirted the selected area first to the east, then to the north (see the attached map). GEIPAN explains that a low-flying aircraft viewed head-on can be visible from 20 km, or 30 km and beyond in suitable weather. It appears as one bright point because its position and flashing lights are much weaker than its narrow-beam landing lights and cannot be seen at that distance. Despite heavy cloud cover, horizontal visibility that day was 60 km (see Météociel). Such unusual conditions may explain why the witnesses did not normally notice this scheduled flight. The pilot may also have chosen a different route or altitude that day. Viewed from the side, an aircraft instead shows its red or green position light, depending on the side, and red and/or white flashing lights, depending on the flight phase. Its forward-facing landing lights become almost invisible. GEIPAN classifies the case B: very probable observation of an aircraft seen head-on while approaching Le Havre-Octeville airport.