Silvery cylinder on A13 highway

Summary

A driver and his passenger were traveling on the A13 highway towards Caen when, between 16:30 and 17:15, they spotted a bright silvery cylindrical object. Initially stationary, the object moved rapidly from east to west, leaving behind a cloud-like trail. The GEIPAN classified this case as "C" due to the lack of reliable information.

Hypotheses considered included airplanes or thermal balloons that might have temporarily reflected sunlight. However, radar data obtained were inconclusive. Additionally, the witness initially stated the object came from the east, but later changed it to northwest, complicating the assessment. The imprecision in the time and location of the observation made it difficult to correlate with known flights. Ultimately, there were no solid elements to confirm or refute any hypothesis.