MOUTIERS-EN-RETZ (LES) (44) 21.08.2018

On 21 August 2018 at 21:20 in Les Moutiers-en-Retz (44), a witness on his terrace with his brother noticed a bright light in front of him. When his brother said there was no airfield in that direction, the witness immediately concluded that the light was not natural. He took 2 photographs: the light was dimmer in the first and very bright in the second. It then disappeared completely. No engine sound was heard in the quiet surroundings. Only 1 account was collected. The witness contacted GEIPAN again in November 2018 with new information. The phenomenon had recurred several times in the same direction. His brother, who lived there, had checked a map and found Nantes airport about 25 km away, with a runway aligned that way. The witness considered the mystery solved, saying that aircraft occasionally took off with their lights on and switched them off 40 seconds later. Given the recurrence, the viewing direction and Nantes Atlantique airport's proximity, stated as 30 km in the analysis, GEIPAN considers it very likely that an arriving or departing aircraft was observed. The light would have been either a landing light or the rear position light. FlightRadar24 did not allow access far enough back in time to formally confirm the particular aircraft that day. GEIPAN classifies the case B: aircraft misidentification.