THONON-LES-BAINS (74) 01.09.2014

On 1 September 2014 between 23:30 and 23:40, a witness in a fifth-floor bedroom in Thonon-les-Bains (74) watched for a few seconds through his window a triangular flying formation composed of 6 white patches that were not dazzling. It moved slowly at an estimated height below 50 m. Seen side-on, the triangular UAP showed no solid mass and disappeared from view above a neighboring building. No sound was heard during this unexpected sighting, and no other account was reported. An investigator met the witness for an interview and reconstruction, refining the questionnaire's original time range of 23:00 to midnight. The gliding appearance, speed, V formation, size and other features strongly support birds; see the investigation report. GEIPAN proposes either migrating greylag geese heading toward the eastern part of Lake Geneva, where there is a bird reserve, or local swans disturbed by concert noise that evening. In either case, city lights reflected from plumage would explain the appearance. GEIPAN classifies the case as B: probable observation of birds.