Pilot witness in Bas-Rhin, France

On March 12, 2012 at 8:00 PM, a witness goes out onto their terrace and looks at the sky when they see in the clear sky 3 objects of a burgundy red color in the shape of a cross. These objects cross the sky from West to North. The observation lasts only a few seconds. At 10:50 PM, the witness goes out onto the terrace again with their partner, and both of them then see 5 objects in the sky moving from North to East. They are quickly hidden by the landscape (trees and houses of the housing development). Only one testimony is collected. The observation of red flying objects moving in a group in the sky suggests Thai lanterns released on the occasion of a celebration. The Météociel weather report at Strasbourg, 40 km away, indicates a weak variable wind from NE, N, NW. In this case, this movement described toward the Northeast matches the local wind poorly; but this wind was weak and variable, and we do not have a very nearby weather report. We cannot formally exclude this hypothesis. The day of the week (Monday) is rarely a day for celebrations, which is also not in favor of this hypothesis, as is the cross shape described by the witness. Air traffic mentions no aircraft that could correspond to the observation. GEIPAN received no other report of a phenomenon that day in the region. Due to a lack of precise weather information and a lack of cross-checks, GEIPAN classifies this case in category C.