Stationary UFO in Bourg-les-Valence

Summary

On August 6, 2016, a driver and her passenger observed two luminous phenomena in the sky in Bourg-les-Valence, France. The driver stopped to take photos with a camera. Only one witness account was collected, mentioning two PAN. One photo shows a stationary luminous trail, and another shows a dark spot next to an airplane contrail. The dark spot was not visually observed and likely appears as an insect close to the camera. The visual description and the first photo are consistent with an airplane contrail. FlightRadar identified an aircraft in the typical position to produce bright contrails. The confusion came from the claim of a "stationary PAN for 11 minutes," which is impossible for an airplane. Further investigation revealed that the phone interview contradicted the written statement. The witness saw PAN1 while driving, stopped to photograph it, then took a second photo. When searching for PAN1 in the second image, it was not visible due to the zoom. Her friend mentioned the PAN had disappeared. The actual observation time was 2 to 3 minutes, not 11. During that time, the identified aircraft slightly changed its angular position, but this could be perceived as stillness, especially with intermittent observation. The disappearance of the PAN is explained by it entering the shadow after sunset. The GEIPAN classified the case as A: airplane contrail. This account illustrates how emotion or excitement can lead to inaccuracies or exaggerations in describing aerial phenomena.