Trans-en-Provence landing trace

Renato Nicolaï heard a whistle and saw an object land briefly on his terrace and fly off. The Gendarmerie took samples within a day; GEPAN’s laboratory analysis of the 2.4 m circular mark reported soil heated to 300–600 °C and chlorophyll changes in alfalfa leaves.

Explanation

The French government’s GEPAN (now GEIPAN, part of CNES) analysed soil and plant samples and reported heating and biochemical changes it could not attribute to a known cause. Skeptics suggest a vehicle or the witness.

What was seen

Shape: Lead-grey disc, two stacked saucers
Witnesses: Renato Nicolaï
Duration: Under a minute

Sources

• GEIPAN — French government UAP case archive (CNES)

Browse

• France
• 1980s
• Unresolved
• Landing and trace cases
• Official government documents
• Physical traces
• Discs and saucers

Similar cases

• Valensole landing 1 July 1965
• Langenburg rings 1 September 1974
• Six “flying saucers” across southern England (hoax) 4 September 1967
• Cussac — two children and four small black beings 29 August 1967