An account in Vosges, France

On July 26, 2016 at around 7:14 p.m., a witness on their outdoor terrace observed the rapid and silent movement of a spherical object surrounded by a ring, coming from the North-Northeast. The object reflected the sun. No trail was noticed. The witness was surprised because they did not recognize any known type of aircraft (airplane, weather balloon). Following the measurements taken on site, the interview with the witness, and the research carried out, particularly using the Flightradar replay and meteorological archives, it can be concluded that this was a case of confusion with an airplane (see the investigation report). Indeed, there is a concurrence (on the order of a minute) of an airplane not noticed by the witness at the time of the observation, following a trajectory consistent with the one given by the witness for the UAP, apart from a significant difference in angular height (airplane 56°, UAP estimated at 32°) but not disqualifying given that the observation took place in open sky and without reference points. An airplane is not necessarily accompanied by a trail. The other element of strangeness concerning the spherical appearance and the ring is compatible with a mirror effect of the sun's light that is not uniform across the entire length of the fuselage, and with the partial view of the wings due to the geometric configuration (and a less favorable mirror effect on the wings). This strangeness could also have led to a perception of increased size compared to what the witness usually perceives of passing airplanes. Consequently, GEIPAN classifies this as A: misidentification with a commercial airliner.