CAEN (14) 19.10.2021

On Tuesday 19 October 2021 at 13:20, 2 friends eating lunch on a top-floor terrace in Caen (14) saw a dark object moving in a straight line at low altitude. They described it as flat underneath and domed above. No particular sound was heard. It made a slight turn, then rose before disappearing from view. During the observation, which lasted about 10 minutes, neither took a photograph, but each subsequently drew the object and reconstructed its path. They considered various explanations but remained uncertain. No other account was collected. GEIPAN's analysis concludes that they probably saw lightweight, rigid debris, possibly made of black expanded PVC and perhaps originating at a construction site, carried by a non-swirling gust; see the investigation report. Its stable shape fits a light but rigid object that would not deform in the wind, black is a possible color for such debris, and its overall steady, straight travel northward follows the prevailing wind. Weather records show a moderate wind with strong northward gusts, matching the reported direction. GEIPAN's final classification is A: observation of lightweight, rigid black expanded-PVC debris carried by the wind.