A triangle shape in France, France

GEIPAN continues to publish all of its archives on its public website www.geipan.fr. Among its publications are old cases classified at the time (A, B, C or D) which are now being re-examined, for the sole purpose of being more relevant in the conclusions. Thanks to new technical means (software) and the investigation experience acquired over all these recent years, this re-examination sometimes leads to new remarks or even a change of classification. The observation case previously classified D and named (DPT) HAUTES-PYRENEES (65) 05.05.1999 is part of a set of cases recently re-examined. Its examination made it possible to make the link with another observation case [AERO LOC] MORTIERS (17) 04.05.1999 (observation from an airplane) initially unexploitable (classified C). On 05 May 1999 around midnight, 9 witnesses located in different municipalities of the Hautes-Pyrenees (65) observe in the night sky a phenomenon consisting of a very bright glow followed by a triangular or conical cloud. No particular noise is heard. During the observations, whose duration varies, the UAP seems to pivot on itself. The glow disappears and the cloud fades progressively. This phenomenon is also reported by a pilot (whose airplane is located south of Cognac). The air traffic controller will also note that two other pilots report having seen the same phenomenon. Of very good consistency (3 groups of independent witnesses in the Hautes-Pyrenees, fairly precise information), this case turns out to be a very probable misidentification with a missile test launch. Thanks to the internet, access to missile launch records is easier 20 years later than it was at the time of the launches (see the investigation report). The description of the UAP strongly recalls a missile launch, and several of the witnesses thought of a rocket launch. If no rocket launch actually corresponds to the observation, it should be noted that 2 French missile launches took place on the date of 04 May 1999. Now the observation of the UAP, in UTC time, corresponds well to the date of 04 May 1999. Many elements are perfectly consistent with the hypothesis of a misidentification with a missile launch: the observation directions indicated by the witnesses point toward the Bay of Biscay and off the coast of Brittany. Moreover, the fact that the 3 groups of witnesses geographically distant see the UAP under similar conditions shows that it was at high altitude. Furthermore, the crew of an airliner (case [AERO LOC] MORTIERS (17) 04.05.1999 flying over the Charente, made the same type of observation at the same time. All this establishes the hypothesis of a misidentification with one of these two missiles, perfectly visible (with distinction of the body and ejected gases) in the night sky of the witnesses because the missiles are still in the sunlight due to their high altitude. It is known that there was a launch that day and that it is indeed at this precise time that the following launches took place. Under these conditions, the fact that we do not have confirmation of the launch time that day is not likely to harm this hypothesis. It is not reasonable to launch a procedure (heavy in formal terms 20 years later) of research with the test centers for a precise time of the launch of 04 May 1999. Consequently, GEIPAN combines the two observation cases into a single case which it classifies as A: very probable observation of a launch of a M45 or M4 defense missile in the Bay of Biscay from off the coast of Brittany.