[AERO LOC] PUISELET-LE-MARAIS (91) 12.04.2017

On Wednesday 12 April 2017 at 12:15 UTC, a Cessna pilot saw a very bright UAP above Étampes airfield. It rapidly crossed the aircraft's path. He described a bubble-like shape that was not spherical, with a slightly elongated front and no visible means of propulsion. His wife, a passenger, also saw it. The observation lasted 5–15 seconds. The pilot considered possibilities including a helicopter and then a drone. Only one account was collected. The investigation considered misidentification of a drone, but insufficient data prevented a precise assessment (see the investigation report). GEIPAN rated the strangeness as fairly high, 0.6, and the evidential support as lower, 0.5, because some information was missing or unusable. The second witness did not complete a questionnaire despite GEIPAN's request. The drone hypothesis was considered promising, but GEIPAN could not investigate it sufficiently to adopt it. Straight movement and the reported altitude were technically compatible with a drone, although the source states that the altitude was well above the then-authorized maximum of 150 m. Several obstacles remained: - The source states that the radars could not detect drones. - More precise observational details could not be obtained from the pilot, who focused on his final reconstruction of events. - The very bright ball he described differed markedly from the known appearance of drones, creating a mismatch between his account and his own drone hypothesis. - A drone at that altitude would, according to the source, have been operating unlawfully and potentially endangering other airspace users above 150 m. Investigators considered it unlikely that its operator could be located and persuaded to provide an account under those circumstances. - The pilot's wife supplied no account despite being present. GEIPAN classifies the case C: insufficient reliable data.