NICE (06) 11.09.2021

At 00:45 on 11 September 2021, a witness in a third-floor apartment in Nice (06) saw a very bright stationary UAP at treetop level towards Castellet hill in Villefranche-sur-Mer. He observed it directly and took photographs, ending his observation at 01:45. Another person present that night later said it was still visible at 04:00 but chose not to submit an account. GEIPAN assessed the evidential strength of the account as excellent. The witness's photographs and his own investigation allowed the viewing direction and the UAP's position above a rental villa to be established precisely. GEIPAN's investigation concluded that he probably saw powerful floodlights mounted on a mast to illuminate the property; see the investigation report. GEIPAN based this conclusion on the appearance of one or more construction-site floodlights on a telescopic or hydraulic mast, their very strong brightness, and their position near the ground. Measurements and calculations placed them about 10–15 m above ground level. The UAP remained stationary and unchanged throughout the long observation. Precise measurements by the witness, confirmed by the investigation, located it above a villa that its owners usually rented out. An open, flat area of the garden directly along the viewing direction would be suitable for a telescopic mast. GEIPAN also described the sighting as occurring on a Saturday-to-Sunday night, a likely time for a celebration. The stated date and time, however, fall in the early hours of Saturday; the source does not resolve this discrepancy. Investigators found no evidence of a celebration at the property on the observation date. No additional accounts were reported. GEIPAN suggested that neighbours might be familiar with occasional events there. It classified the case B: probable observation of floodlights mounted on a mast.