SOLRE-LE-CHATEAU (59) 03.01.2014

Around 15:10 on 3 January 2014, a motorist and his female passenger at Solre-le-Château (59) saw 2 charcoal-grey cigar-shaped objects pass slowly through a gap in thick cloud. Only 1 account was collected. The investigation found their altitude, apparent elevation, azimuths and distance from the observers compatible with 2 candidate airliners, flights AFR1263 and AFR1471; see the investigation document. GEIPAN concluded that the UAPs were probably these aircraft seen under unusual conditions. The fairly precise account had good evidential strength, although only 1 witness submitted it and no photographs were available. The witness's summary sketch was useful. The apparently unusual behaviour made the observation fairly strange, but uncertainty in the aircraft passage times and reported angular sizes prevented certainty. GEIPAN classified the case B: very probable observation of 2 airliners.