Sun reflection on plane observed in Paris

Summary

On January 9, 2014, a witness driving on the A6 motorway toward Paris saw a bright white object for about three-quarters of a second between clouds. The object was described as dazzling and fleeting. Using flight data from Casperflights, it was determined that an Airbus A321 was ascending in the same area at the time. The aircraft was oriented in such a way that its fuselage reflected the rising sun toward the observer. This kind of optical illusion is common in UFO reports, where the inexplicable often has a simple explanation. The GEIPAN classified this case as "A"—a reflection of sunlight on a commercial aircraft.