BERVILLE-SUR-MER (27) 16.06.2019

On 16 June 2019, rather than 15 June as mistakenly entered on the questionnaire, between 00:15 and 00:30, a witness saw 3 identical orange-red luminous phenomena pass rapidly and silently, one after another at 5-minute intervals. The witness described ‘no precise shape, more an intense light like an orange-red ball of fire’ and supplied a link to a video. Only 1 account was collected. GEIPAN considered the star Capella and an aircraft too unlikely to retain as explanations (see the investigation report). In contrast, the following evidence supports sky lanterns: - The witness estimated the moving UAP to be faster than an aircraft. - The phenomenon repeated 3 times, a few minutes apart. - The description and analysis of its colour, shape, brightness and disappearance using the video and IPACO software fit lanterns. GEIPAN particularly stresses the very rapid fluctuations in brightness visible in the video and the gradual disappearance. - Its path matched the wind direction, another key criterion. - It occurred during the night following a summer Saturday evening, a time conducive to celebrations. GEIPAN therefore concludes that the sighting almost certainly involved sky lanterns a few minutes apart. They would have been much closer than the witness thought, probably because the sky was very cloudy, creating an impression of high speed. The case is classified B: a very probable observation of sky lanterns.