[D139] de ECRAINVILLE (76) vers GODERVILLE (76) 06.09.2015

On 6 September 2015 at about 10:40, a woman driving on the D139 from Écrainville toward Goderville was surprised by a shadow that seemed to block the Sun. Still driving, she leaned forward and saw through the windscreen a matte-black triangular shape with slightly curved sides and a paler circle at each corner. Alerted, the front passenger opened the window but saw nothing then. Farther along the road, both saw the phenomenon receding rapidly toward “Breteville (50),” as written in the source. They heard no sound and saw no lights. Only 1 account was collected. GEIPAN considers an aircraft the most probable explanation; see the investigation report. On that Sunday, a commemoration honoring First World War pilots took place 13 km farther west. Two French military Rafales flew over Étretat Bay at about 10:30. One could have passed directly over the observation site. The description could fit a Rafale, with differences resulting from difficult viewing conditions: the main sighting was brief and made by a driver just before a roundabout. What most surprised the witnesses was the silence and the apparent lack of other observers: it was a Sunday morning with walkers and other vehicles nearby. GEIPAN notes that an aircraft can be inaudible under certain conditions, referring to Gaelle Fedoce's study, and that visual surprise can mask or inhibit the perception of sound. GEIPAN considers the lack of other reports supportive of the aircraft hypothesis. Other people may have seen it under better conditions, recognized an aircraft and felt no need to report it. Without radar data or the 2 Rafales' exact tracks, GEIPAN cannot definitively establish that a Rafale flew over the witnesses' car. A civilian or military drone is a less probable alternative because the apparent angular movement was too rapid. The case is classified B: a probable aircraft misidentification.