CROZON (29) 14.08.2015

On 14 August 2015 at about 17:00 in Crozon (29), a witness saw a triangular shape moving slowly across the sky with a rocking motion. With binoculars he saw that it was royal blue as it passed overhead. It stayed below the clouds and moved silently from north-northwest to south-southeast. Only 1 account was collected. Weather recorded a few kilometres away at Lanvéoc showed a sustained northwesterly wind and overcast sky. Brest's aviation weather report was: METAR LFRB 141500Z 31010KT 280V340 9999 SCT017 BKN030 16/12. The source describes cloud at 1,700 feet, about 500 m, beneath a thick layer at 3,000 feet, about 1,000 m. GEIPAN concludes that the NNW-to-SSE movement fits a windborne object. The shape could suggest a hot-air balloon, but the time was unusual for such flights: balloonists prefer early morning or sunset to avoid thermal currents. The area is also closed to overflight because of numerous military sites. With a low cloud ceiling and the object almost point-like to the naked eye, GEIPAN considers that it must have been relatively small. If its apparent size was about one tenth of the Moon's and it flew at 500 m altitude, it would measure less than 50 cm. A child's helium balloon, possibly a shiny Mylar balloon released nearby, is much more probable; models in many shapes are common. A celebration took place in Roscanvel, northwest of the observation site, on the evening of 14 August. Fairground stalls may have been set up that day. GEIPAN classifies the case B: probable observation of a child's helium-filled balloon.