SARRANCOLIN (65) 09.10.2023

On 9 October 2023 at 12:00, a witness and companion driving on the route des Nestes out of Sarrancolin (65) saw a white UAP ahead, similar in size to an aircraft but differently shaped. It moved slowly and steadily on a straight path. They heard no sound. Only 1 witness reported to GEIPAN, but the evidence is assessed as good because the video established location and viewing azimuth. GEIPAN defines evidential strength as the quantity of reliable information collected for an account. An Airbus A330-700 Beluga explanation fits its broad elongated shape, distinctive design and white colour. The witness had considered an aircraft but did not recognise the Beluga. From the observing position, the wings lay in the fuselage’s plane and were invisible. Straight, steady movement also fits. Although precise witness position and viewing direction were initially absent, landmarks in the video recovered them. They looked north. Left-to-right movement and decreasing size suggest a south-west-to-north-east path. CNOA, ADS-B Exchange and Flightradar24 conclusively show an A330-700 Beluga north of the witnesses around noon, 10:00 UTC, at approximately 20,000 ft or 6,100 m. The source calls this altitude consistent with no contrail while stating that it is above the minimum threshold for contrail formation; that reasoning is retained as the source’s claim. Attached documents show the black track SC202, labelled 20,200 ft Beluga, on the CNOA plot and the FR24 plot. GEIPAN classifies the case A: Airbus A330-700 Beluga observation.