NICE (06) 27.07.2013

On 27 July 2013 at 23:47, a couple in Nice saw a flashing luminous object cross a clear sky in silence. Through binoculars it appeared round, amber-colored and regularly flashing. It approached from the south, traveled north in a straight line, then made a smooth turn toward the west of the city and the Var; the narrative also calls this turn 'linear'. One account was collected. GEIPAN considers the description characteristic of an aircraft. It explains that multiple unsynchronized flashing lights, including anticollision lights and strobes at 1 Hz, often create the impression of 2 flashes per second. The trajectory is also compatible with an aircraft. GEIPAN processed the case too late to check radar tracks. Because that verification was unavailable and the witness clearly rejected the aircraft hypothesis, GEIPAN classified the case as C: insufficient information.