A340 flight spots possible space debris reentry

Summary

On January 7, 2013, a pilot of an Airbus A340 reported observing what he believed to be the atmospheric reentry of space debris. The sighting occurred around 22:46 UTC while the aircraft was flying over the Deauville area in Calvados. The pilot described a bright, fast-moving light, suggesting the reentry of an object from orbit. This observation coincided with another sighting reported in the Ardèche region, at the Col de L’Escrinet, indicating the event might have been visible from multiple locations.

GEIPAN investigators concluded that the observed phenomenon was very likely the atmospheric reentry of a satellite fragment, possibly from Iridium 33. While such events are rare, they are not unheard of and can be mistaken for UFOs by non-expert observers. The case was classified as B, meaning it is considered a probable observation of an atmospheric reentry. In January 2013, several similar testimonies appeared in the media, reinforcing the hypothesis of a real space event.