Close Flight Encounter with a Black Rectangular Object in France

Summary

On October 26, 2014, a pilot of a Cessna reported an unexpected encounter during flight. Just three minutes after taking off from Nice airport, he observed a dark rectangular object passing very close to his aircraft, near the windshield. The object was moving rapidly in a north-south direction at an altitude of 115 meters. His passenger also saw it, though they did not report their observation. The incident occurred over the commune of Le Bar-Sur-Loup, in the Alpes-Maritimes. After reviewing the data, the GEIPAN concluded that it could have been a large bird, such as an eagle or hawk, hunting or migrating at that altitude.

The area where the sighting occurred is known for hosting large birds, some of which are black and capable of flying at that altitude. Although the object appeared rectangular, its characteristics match those of certain birds of prey. The GEIPAN classified the case as "B," suggesting a plausible explanation, though not definitive. This type of analysis combines observations with biological and environmental data to offer a reasonable interpretation of what happened.