CREIL (60) 05.06.2021

In the early evening of 5 June 2021, a resident (T1) of Creil (60) was inside his home while his daughter (T2) played alone with a ball in the garden. Shortly before 19:30 she came indoors and announced that a dragon was flying in the sky. An object was indeed crossing the sky steadily from east to west. After trying to identify it with the naked eye, T1 filmed it twice, until it disappeared behind the roof of a neighbour's house. It was a dark shape that suggested an embryo: a large curved comma with 3 outward-pointing projections of different sizes. It rotated, looking like a bean when viewed face-on. No sound was heard. T1 estimated its distance at 1 km and therefore thought it was over central Creil. A few minutes later a helicopter followed the same route. GEIPAN assesses the amount of reliable, objectively supported information as good: there is just 1 account, but it is very complete and includes 2 usable videos. This assessment concerns the quantity of such information collected for an account. The UAP's appearance and apparent motion in the videos strongly suggest a party balloon; see the investigation report. Its shape closely resembles a balloon model used at celebrations, which, moreover, are often held on Saturdays. This explanation is strengthened by its low altitude, below the clouds, and its trajectory being entirely consistent with the wind direction. The witness had considered a balloon but rejected it because of the object's shape and its steady, straight flight. The investigation showed that dinosaur-shaped party balloons exist and that the UAP was travelling with a moderate wind. GEIPAN concludes that the witnesses very probably saw a party balloon carried by the wind. The case is classified A: observation of a party balloon carried by the wind.