VILLERS-LES-LUXEUIL (70) 26.11.2019

On 26 November 2019, a couple drove in separate vehicles from Vesoul (70) towards their home in Villers-lès-Luxeuil (70). The husband (T1), following his wife (T2), saw a first luminous phenomenon shortly after 17:00 near Saulx-de-Vesoul (70): a white light apparently moving beneath the clouds. After about 15 seconds it rose vertically and disappeared into the clouds, at an estimated distance of 10–12 km from the village. Less than 10 seconds later it reappeared above the area. T1 tried to alert T2 by flashing his headlights and calling her phone, but she did not see it. Later, on reaching Villers-lès-Luxeuil, T2 and then T1 saw a large black triangular structure, almost stationary over the village, with a strong white light at its front and a steady red light. T1 stopped, switched off the radio and opened the windows to listen. The UAP moved slowly, gliding silently through the air at an estimated altitude below 100 m. The observation lasted about 20 seconds. According to T2, the object then tilted over before disappearing towards the north-north-west. GEIPAN assesses the evidential strength as good, with 2 highly cooperative witnesses. Their accounts cannot, however, be regarded as entirely independent, and no photographs, videos or other physical evidence corroborate them. Under GEIPAN’s criteria, evidential strength is the quantity of information collected for an account that is considered reliable and objectively supported. The witnesses found the UAP’s size, dark triangular shape and complete silence unusual. Three hypotheses were examined (see the investigation report): a Robin DR400 civilian aircraft, a Mirage 2000-5F fighter and a military drone. The military-drone hypothesis initially seemed plausible because notice SUP AIP 299/19 established a temporary restricted area for possible military-drone transit between 7 November 2019 and 6 May 2020, encompassing the sighting date. However, the permitted altitudes, 14,935–16,764 m, were incompatible with naked-eye observation from the ground beneath complete cloud cover of 8/8 oktas at less than 3,000 m. The hypothesis was therefore rejected. A Robin DR400 was confirmed at low altitude during the sighting’s time window on a matching trajectory, approaching to land at airbase BA116. Its landing light and left-wing navigation light could explain the white and red lights. However, its apparent size, compared with the full Moon, did not match the “impressive” dark UAP described by the witnesses. T1 specifically said that his outstretched hand would not have been enough to conceal the dark triangle. The dark triangular shape also had no logical explanation apart from a possible optical illusion. A military exercise from BA116 involving 4 Mirages was confirmed, and 1 followed a path consistent with the UAP’s. A Mirage 2000-5F also better fits the triangular shape. Nevertheless, GEIPAN identifies several discrepancies requiring closer consideration: a 10-minute difference from the established sighting time; elevation of 14°, substantially below the witnesses’ estimate of over 30°; incompatible size; and the absence of perceived sound or aircraft recognition despite the witnesses’ long residence in the village and familiarity with passing Mirages. Given the remaining strangeness after investigation and the evidential strength of the accounts, GEIPAN classifies the case D1: observation of an unidentified phenomenon.